Behind Lance's Smiles
by Angel251
Summary: Lance is the smart mouthed rebel of the team, but what does his desperate sarcasm hide?
1. The Lady in White

A/N: I do not own Voltron, it's characters, etc., etc.

          Lance was feeling utterly exhausted. Keith had gotten the team out of bed at the crack of dawn to run through an extensive series of drills, and while Lance knew Keith was only doing this for the good of the team, it still irritated him to no end. Rest was so hard to come by, between the constant Roe Beast attacks and countless sudden appearances of Prince Lotor in the Castle. Lance had learned to value his beauty sleep. So now he was stumbling to his room to take a nap in the middle of the day.

          He passed by the dining room and heard Princess Allura's voice engaged with that of an unknown man. Doubtless it was another man from her endless string of suitors. Lance did not want to be wrangled into conversation with some pompous, brain dead peacock, so he tiptoed by the door with great stealth.

          He was making his way down the hall when he heard Allura say, "And who is your lady friend?"

          "Ah, she is my Guardian. My kingdom has been experiencing a number of civil wars, and she was sent to Alcon to keep me safe until these times of unrest pass," the man replied.

          Lance blinked for a moment, sorely tempted to go back and see what this female bodyguard looked like. He'd never heard of a man being protected by a woman before. Perhaps it was sexist of him, but he found the idea absurd. The woman must be ugly as a troll and the size of a mountain. He debated whether or not seeing this beast woman was worth being trapped in hours of mindless chatter and decided that he wanted sleep more then he wanted to satisfy his curiosity. 

          Lance locked his bedroom door behind him and hurriedly undressed before collapsing onto his bed. He was asleep within moments.

          Allura was doing her best to be friendly to Prince Ower, but the man was a nuisance. He was high handed, arrogant, and very narrow minded. He refused to talk about things of consequence with her, saying he did not wish to strain her delicate mind. For that reason alone she wanted to put her fist into his face. She was very surprised he'd agreed to having a female bodyguard, for he seemed to be the very definition of a male chauvinist.

          But as she glanced at the other woman once more, she decided that it wasn't so hard to see why he tolerated her presence. The woman was positively ravishing. Allura had always been confident in her own beauty, but this woman was almost too lovely to be real. She was very tiny, yet exceptionally curved, and her legs were incredibly long. She had long flowing tresses that were the opposite of Allura's in color: a dark brown shot through with red. She was dressed completely in white. Her gown was a halter neck but somehow managed to conceal all of her ample cleavage. It split up the sides to her hips, and was belted at the waist by a silken rope. She wore knee length white boots, and despite the alarming height of the side slits on the dress, it somehow seemed to be very modest. Perhaps because the young woman wearing it had so very much to show off, yet chose not to.  

          Her face was exquisite, with a pert nose, flaring eyebrows, full lips and sharp cheekbones. Her silver eyes were enormous and slightly tilted at the ends, and framed by lashes Allura would have killed for. She was like some exotic creature out of a man's fantasy, and Allura found her presence to be almost challenging, though the other woman had not yet spoken to her. She wore a sword on her back, the hilt behind her left shoulder for easy access.

          Allura privately thought that even if the Prince had been utterly charming, she still would have been less then interested in him, knowing he had a woman such as this one underfoot at all times.

          "It was a pleasure to meet you, milord. I'm afraid I must be off, I have a few things to attend to. I will see you at dinner. And your…companion as well, of course."

          Prince Ower frowned and said, "Lissa is my guardian, not my companion. She generally doesn't dine with me."

          Allura maintained a calm façade, but inwardly she was seething. The man spoke of this Lissa as if she had no feelings, and yet the woman was risking her life to protect his. Allura felt an overwhelming need to upstage the man, to put him in his place. "I see, well, since you are a guest in my home, and she has accompanied you on your journey, I insist she join us for dinner."

          Prince Ower looked as if he might argue the matter, but apparently he recalled he was a guest on her planet, and her will was law. He gave her a stiff smile and then bowed to her, but as Allura took her leave of the odious half wit, she noticed his body guard was wearing a pleased grin.

          Lance woke feeling refreshed and ready to take on the Universe. He recalled the visiting Prince and his mysterious troll woman bodyguard the moment he woke up, for his curiosity was insatiable though the rest of the team was unaware of this fact. He tended to hide a great deal about himself from them, and only Keith knew of it. Lance had his share of past pain, none of which he felt like putting on parade for public knowledge, and so he hid behind a wall of sarcasm and jokes.

          He was in the process of getting dressed when his stomach let out a massive growl, reminding him that he hadn't eaten all day. A glance at his clock told him dinner was just starting, and while he normally avoided the dining hall when Allura had a visiting suitor, tonight he was looking forward to the meal, if only to get a good look at this weakling's feminine bodyguard.

          He quickly made his way to the dining room and strode in unannounced. Not surprisingly, no one else from the team was there. They all disliked dealing with Allura's suitors as much as Lance did. Allura was engaged in animated conversation with her admirer, although her expression was decidedly hostile. Coran was looking pale and drawn as he listened to their discussion. Lance glanced around the room, looking for the Royal Pain's guardian.

          When he initially saw her, it was from the back. She was most definitely not a troll. Nor was she massive. In fact, she was so petite he knew he'd tower over her. She was approximately the same height as Pidge. He walked towards her as if in a trance, his eyes taking in the long legs, the well rounded backside, the tiny waist he could span with his hands. He couldn't help it, he had to see the rest of her. He circled around her, his eyes drinking in the sight of her graceful hands, her magnificent breasts, her luscious lips, her damascene eyes…  

          Lance blinked at that last realization, remembering another woman with eyes the color of steel, and it was then that he took in her face. Her achingly beautiful face. The one that had haunted him for a lifetime. The woman had noticed his rude appraisal of her, and had stiffened to glare at him, but as their gazes met, her eyes widened in shock.

          "Lissa?" Lance whispered, his voice that of a man faced with a waking dream.

          "Lance?" the woman questioned, her voice ringing out in dulcet tones that were as lovely as the woman herself.

          "How do you know each other?" Allura asked, noting the stricken look on Lance's face.

          "We were very close once, in another life," the woman replied, her musical voice echoing in the dining hall.

Bitter laughter escaped from Lance's lips before he could control himself. He was being battered by visions from the past, feelings and thoughts that had nearly destroyed him, yet he'd never once wished them to disappear, for they had been a part of his life that he never wanted to forget. 

"Not as close as I wanted to be, though," Lance mockingly rejoined, stung that she had made their association sound so casual, when he had gone insane without her.

Lissa winced and looked away from him, unable to meet his gaze.

"This is all very touching, but you are ruining my dinner with the Princess. Lissa, you are excused. Go see to your…pet. I won't require your presence until the dawn," Prince Ower barked.

Lance rounded on the man in fury, his eyes blazing with an unholy light. "If you ever talk to her that way again, I will personally see to it that your pompous face gets rearranged!" he yelled, slamming his hands down on the table and causing Prince Ower to jump.

Allura's mouth fell open. Lance's eyes had turned almost black in their anger, and there was a hostility in them that would have frightened a rabid Roe Beast. She had never seen Lance in such a towering rage. Oh, he was impetuous, impatient, and quick tempered, but this anger he was displaying was no little thing. No flare of temper. It seemed to be soul consuming, as if it reached into the very matter of his being. Whoever this woman was, she meant a great deal to the arrogant pilot, and Allura found this intriguing. Lance had always been something of a flirt, but he'd repeatedly shied away from any attempts by women to draw him into serious relationships. Perhaps because his heart was not his to give.

Lance turned back to Lissa, but she was gone.


	2. Friendly Conversation

**A/N:** I do not own Voltron, any of its characters, and so on. Thanks to Red Lion and Braidwhip for their reviews. 

          Lance stormed through the Castle of Lions for almost an hour before he figured out that Lissa had chosen to flee to someplace outside. His first thought as he tromped across the inner courtyard was that she could be exposed to danger if she left the castle, what with Roe Beasts and Lotor's henchmen running around. He wouldn't put it past those idiots to kidnap Lissa by mistake, confusing her with Princess Allura since she was a female. Lotor's lackeys didn't have a brain between the entire lot of them. It didn't matter to Lance that Lissa was here as Prince Ower's bodyguard. A person had to just look at her to see how dainty she was. She needed to be cared for, to be protected, and Lance had always done so in the past. He never stopped to consider what she'd done in the years since their separation to protect herself.

          He was muttering to himself under his breath when he reached the castle lake. It was just like her to run away from her problems. Running had always been easier for Lissa. At least where matters of the heart were concerned. She would stand toe to toe with anyone over politics, government, and the running of armed forces, but let a guy mention love, and she was gone so fast she left a person's head spinning. She'd run away years before, and he knew she'd do it again if he didn't find her first.

          He paused to look around, his gaze scanning the horizon, and then he saw her. Less then a dozen feet away, her back turned to him as she pensively gazed down into the waters of the lake. He stalked up to her, trying to control the emotions seething within him and failing miserably. "Here you are," he cheerfully called out, noting the way she stiffened at the sound of his voice. "I thought you might be long gone by now, what with your penchant for running away."

          Lissa whirled around, her silver eyes darkening to a rich gray, her expression almost haughty as she looked down her nose at him. A difficult thing to do, considering he was a foot taller then she was. "I did not run away. Prince Ower ordered me to excuse myself, and so I did."

          "Right," Lance replied, his mouth pulled into a crooked smirk. "That's not what I was referring to, but I'm sure you know that. How did you end up being that pompous idiot's bodyguard, anyway?"

          Lissa shrugged, her shoulders moving with the same elegant grace he remembered so clearly. "He petitioned the Legion for protection, and they sent me to be his guardian."

          Lance crossed his arms over his chest and frowned down at her. "Why would they send a little thing like you?" he asked, ignoring the way she bristled at his words. "You could get hurt."

          "Yes, well, I'm afraid that does tend to happen when you are a member of the most elite fighting force in the Universe," Lissa commented. "And size has nothing to do with ability. You should know that," she sweetly added.

          A dull blush spread over Lance's cheeks as he stared at her in stunned silence for a moment before he managed to recover. "Considering you never got the goods, sweetheart, I hope you weren't making a reference to me just now. You wouldn't know one way or another."

          Lissa gritted her teeth and hissed, "Oh, but I'm sure there have been plenty of women who have first hand knowledge about such things. I could always ask them."

          Lance grinned at her, enjoying the way she glared at him. "Ah, sweetheart, what's the matter? Are you jealous? I suppose I could be persuaded to give you a free sample, if you asked me to. Maybe on your knees…?"

          Lissa drew herself up to her full five feet and snapped, "Stop calling me that! I am not your sweetheart! And the idea of me being jealous of all the women you've known over the years is as ridiculous as your notion that I'd ever get on my knees and ask you for anything!"

          Lissa was almost screaming at him by the time she'd finished her sentence, and her eyes had lightened to a dangerous shade, like the edges of thunderclouds during a storm. Lance continued to smile at her, knowing he had the upper hand at the moment, because whenever someone lost their temper, they lost a fight, his captain always said. Keith had actually taught him something useful after all. Imagine that.

          "Calm down, honey, there's no need to yell. I can hear you just fine," he murmured, deliberately using another pet name to annoy her, his voice tinged with amusement.

          "Perhaps, but can you understand me?" she asked, arching an eyebrow at him. "If you recall, I never wanted what you had to offer in the past, and I certainly haven't changed my mind."

          The words were a low blow, and they both knew it. Once upon a time, he had given his heart to her, and pursued her with an amorous devotion that made Lotor's infatuation with Allura seem like a child's crush. He had given her everything of himself, his mind, his heart, his soul. She had chosen to reject his body, and while it had pained him, he'd respected her wishes, up to the day she walked out on him. Lance paled and took a step away from her, unable to believe she'd said something so cruel. It was evidence, he supposed, of how upset she really was. Lissa was never mean unless she was desperate. But he couldn't allow her to hurt him in such a way, not without paying a price. 

          "Oh, I remember, now that you mention it. You always did have ice running through your veins, instead of blood," he shot back. "You never knew how to act like a real woman."

          Lissa's eyes widened in pain, and it was her turn to step away. She had always been more interested in the more masculine things in life, such as war and politics, and men had always been drawn to her because of her interests and looks. This had alienated her from other women, and she'd always felt alone. When they had been together, she had often told him he deserved someone who knew how to be like a normal woman, someone who knew how to make him feel like a man. She'd never understood that it was her unique outlook on life that he'd loved the most about her, and Lance knew it.

          Lissa's eyes closed for a moment, masking her pain, and then she sighed wearily and turned away from him. "Enough of this. I have nothing to say to you. Please, just go away."

          "I don't think so," Lance retorted, angry with himself for wanting to comfort her at that moment when she was the one who'd shed first blood in this discussion. "I want some answers, Lissa. You owe it to me."

          Lissa bowed her head, and then slowly whispered, "No, not right now. I can't. Please, just leave. I can't even look at you."

           Lance didn't understand what she meant. True, he'd been nasty to her a moment ago, but her words hinted at a much older pain. He took a step toward her, but paused when a new voice intruded.

          "You heard the lady. I believe she said she didn't want to talk to you right now, little boy. So why don't you do as she asks and leave of your own free will, before I make you."


	3. A, er, Little Familiar

**A/N: **I do not own Voltron, nor any of its characters. Lissa, Fire Storm, and the Legion of Light are all mine, however, as are the White Riders.

**P.**S. Thanks to RedLion and yamatoforever for reviewing. I do so love feedback! And opinions are appreciated.

          Lance immediately spun around, his hand going to the laser pistol that he always wore in the waistband of his pants, hidden beneath his ever present jacket. He paused, more then a bit perplexed, when he saw that there was no one around. He glanced over his shoulder at Lissa, wondering if her presence was truly driving him mad and causing him to hear voices. He wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. She'd always had a soul encompassing effect upon him. He hesitated a moment, not wanting to ask her if he'd imagined that voice or not, because if she hadn't heard anything, she was going to think he was insane, and probably flee from him without a backwards glance. 

          Fortunately, he was saved from his little dilemma when Lissa turned around and tiredly said, "Please stay out of this, Fire Storm. It's none of your concern."

          "I beg to differ," the voice said again, ringing in the air with the volume of a thunderstorm. "Anything that threatens you is of concern to me, and I can tell this man is a danger to your peace of mind."

          Lance frowned as he tore his gaze from Lissa and once more looked around, searching for the speaker. "Hey, pal, I suggest you mind your own business. But for the record, I'd die before I'd ever hurt Lissa."

          "Your words mean nothing to me, boy," the voice bellowed, and Lance's head moved in the direction of the sound until he was finally able to locate the speaker.

          What Lance saw left him feeling a little surprised, and infinitely amused. For all it's thundering, the gargantuan voice belonged to the tiniest white snake Lance had ever seen. It was no longer then his arm, and as slender as one of his fingers. Its head was crowned by two small white horns that made its visage somewhat noble, but it was hardly a threatening creature.

          Lance smirked down at the beast, but before he could say anything, Lissa's voice rang out, her words sharp. "I'll not have you interfere in this, Fire Storm. I know Lance from a time before my service in the Legion, and his quarrel with me is immune to your Familiar's oath to protect me."

          The snake continued to glare at Lance balefully. "Indeed? That may be, but if his attitude continues to be so hostile towards you, I will not be responsible for my actions."

          Lance's eyes widened in mock horror. "Oh, and I'm sure I wouldn't want to be around if you got angry."

          The snake merely stared at him, but Lissa said, "Lance, please, don't antagonize him. He's overprotective as it is, without your juvenile behavior to encourage him." 

          Lance immediately stopped smiling when he heard the pleading tone in her voice. As upset as he was with her, and as ungentle as he'd been with her thus far, Lance really didn't want to hurt Lissa in any way. He just wanted to talk to her, to find out why she'd left all those years ago without saying goodbye. In his heart, he'd always known she would be leaving him to join the Legion of Light. It had been her dream since childhood, and few were fortunate enough to be called to serve in the illustrious ranks of the White Riders, yet she had been chosen when she was still a child.

          When Lance had met Lissa, she'd already known she was destined to serve in the Legion, and one of the iron clad rules the Legion had was that its members be pure in every way. Mind, spirit, and body. And while the Legion of Light consisted of the finest warriors in the universe, the White Riders were its most elite unit. White Riders were allowed to have no ties, nothing to interfere with their service to the Legion. When they took the Oath to serve, they severed all connections to family, friends, and the past, as if their life before had never been. Their loyalty was unwavering, even in comparison to the other members of the Legion. White Riders had only their Familiars, their steeds of war that were bonded to them on the day they took the Oath. 

Lance had known this, but he'd expected to see her one last time before losing her. When she never showed up, he knew she was gone, most likely forever, and he'd never gotten to tell her the true extent of his feelings. That he'd never love another woman as long as he lived.

          Since this creature was her Familiar, he had to treat it with respect, if only for her sake. The Familiar was the one thing that was constant in a White Rider's life. The loyalty of those noble beasts was legendary. Lance had heard stories of how the bond between a White Rider and a Familiar bordered on the divine. That a Familiar was the source of a White Rider's power, and that if either a White Rider or a Familiar was slain, their bonded died as well.  

Lance ran a hand through his hair and sighed, his voice tinged with regret when he said, "Look, I'm sorry if I seem to be threatening towards Lissa. It's just, well, we go way back, and there are a lot of unresolved issues between us. My feelings are getting the better of me, and it's hard for me to control my temper, but I swear to you that I mean her no harm."

The snake glared at him in disdainful silence for a moment, but its golden eyes were thoughtful, almost as if it were reading his mind. Perhaps it was. He had no idea about the powers of the Familiars. He must have passed whatever test the beast was conducting, for it suddenly nodded its head and said, "Very well, it seems you are an honorable man, and I can trust you to keep your word. Besides, milady seems to be most confident that you mean her no ill will, and her judgment has never failed us."

Lance blinked at the animal in surprise, but the snake turned and slithered away through the grass before he had time to say anything. He slowly turned back to Lissa, frowning thoughtfully. "That was your Familiar?" he asked, his voice puzzled. "I always thought they were bigger, since they're supposed to be the steeds of the White Riders."

Lissa's sad expression was momentarily banished by a mischievous grin. "Yes, well, the Familiars secrets guard themselves."

They stood in companionable silence for a moment, staring at each other as past memories danced between them. Lance moved closer to her and said, "I meant what I said. We really need to talk."

"Not now, Lance," Lissa said, shaking her head. "I'm tired from the trip here, and seeing you again after all this time isn't exactly relaxing."

          Lance didn't like the way that sounded, and he was scowling as he moved even closer to her. "If not now, then when? How do I know you won't simply vanish over night? What if your lord and master decides he wants to leave before we get a chance to talk? I wouldn't be surprised if Allura throws him out of the Castle of Lions before the night is over."

          Lissa smiled at him and said, "I promise to remain on Arus until we've had a chance to talk. You have my word. Prince Ower is not in a position to order me to leave, it is my duty to see to his safety, and for now I think he's safer on Arus then Alcon, at least until the civil wars there are settled. We won't be going anywhere anytime soon. I'll visit you in the morning, but for now I need sleep."

          Lance wanted to argue with her, because his emotions were roiling within him and threatening to explode at any moment. But he could tell she was tired, he could see the weariness in her eyes and the way her shoulders seemed to slump beneath the weight of her sword, so he simply nodded in agreement.

          "Thank you," Lissa whispered, and then she did something that caught Lance by surprise. She stepped closer to him and placed a hand on his cheek, her eyes gentle and searching as they met his. "I've missed you so. I never realized until today how empty my life has been without you."

          Lance was stunned and confused by her admission. To hear that she'd missed him, just as he'd missed her, was like a dream come true. He wanted to pull her into his arms, to shout with joy, to never let her out of his sight again. But before he had a chance to react, she pulled another one of her infamous vanishing tricks and was gone. He was tempted to follow her, but he knew that would be selfish. She'd promised to see him, and he knew her to be a woman of her word. She'd looked so pale and worn, as if she hadn't rested in days, and so he reluctantly made his way to his own room, so that she could have a moment's peace. 

But damn it all, it wasn't easy. He'd forgotten how difficult being in love was. Poets liked to write pretty lines about how love was gentle and sweet. And sometimes it was. Sometimes it inspired a person to be the very best they could be, so that they were worthy of their love, or so they could protect the one they loved from danger. It ignited a selflessness and kindness that was awe inspiring. But it was also violent and urgent, it consumed a person so completely that it could drive them to madness. It could become a person's reason for living, or dying. The power of love was unrivaled by anything else in the universe, and Lance knew that better then most.

A/N: In the next couple of chapters, Lissa is going to be doing a great deal of reflecting, and Lance is going to be taking a stroll down memory lane. There won't be much present interaction between the two, but I promise it won't take long. Just necessary background building…Sigh. 


	4. Reflecting on Her Past

**A/N: **I do not own Voltron, nor any of its characters. Otherwise, all people in this tale belong to me. (Possessive little wench, aren't I?).

Thanks to yamatoforever and Craze for their reviews. Don't worry yamato, the rest of the Voltron Force will be leaping into Lance's love life pretty soon, much to our hero's discomfort, too, I might add…

          Lissa practically ran from Lance, driven by fear of what she had admitted to him, not because she'd only spoken the words to comfort him, but because she'd actually meant what she'd said. Her life had been empty without Lance. She had immersed herself in service to the Legion, volunteering for mission after mission, always keeping on the move. Running away from her memories, though she hadn't realized it until now. The shock of seeing Lance again after so long had forced her to remember the things she'd spent so much time trying to forget, and that was why she'd left the dining hall when Prince Ower dismissed her. She'd needed to get away from Lance's disturbing presence, and so she'd done what she always did when confronted by her emotions. She'd run. In fact, she'd been considering other planets where she could hide Prince Ower when Lance had found her. 

          Now she'd given her word that she would remain on Arus until it was safe for Prince Ower to return to Alcon, and her word was her bond. She couldn't leave now, as much as she wanted to. Part of her knew that remaining was dangerous, but a promise was a promise. Fire Storm had been correct when he'd said that Lance was a threat to Lissa's peace of mind. She had spent years forgetting him, and now here he was, back in her life again and as compelling as ever. Yes, she definitely wanted to run, her common sense was practically screaming at her to get off of this planet, to get away. To flee to the safety of emotional isolation.

          And it wasn't because she couldn't stand to be around Lance. Nothing could be farther from the truth. She was drawn to him, just as she'd always been. In fact, he seemed more handsome now then he was in her memories, perhaps because he was no longer the uncertain boy she had once known, he had grown into a man who seemed very confident and sure of himself. She had always admired his quick mind and sharp wit, and of course she'd found him devastatingly attractive. She'd never felt so alive as she did when she was with him, and that was why she'd decided to leave for the Legion without saying goodbye to him.

          If she had gone to bid him farewell, she might never have joined the White Riders. At the time she hadn't thought she'd be strong enough to walk out of his arms and away from him, and so she'd simply not gone to him at all. It was easier that way. Perhaps she had been a coward for leaving him with no explanation, but it had seemed like the right thing to do. After all, she'd spent most of her life training to be in the Legion, and how could she put her petty desire for love before the duty of defending the helpless people of the universe? 

          Her father had trained her from an early age to put duty and honor before all else. He had recognized her talents when she was still little more then a baby, and had sent her to be evaluated by members of the Legion. They had determined that she had immense raw psychic talent, and that she would one day make an excellent addition to not only the Legion of Light, but to its very best unit: the White Riders. From that day on, her life had been devoted to training to be a member of the Legion.

          Her father saw to it that she attended the finest academies, that she was trained in combat by the most lethal warriors, and that her latent psychic abilities were awakened and shaped by the most certified instructors. Her gift, that of telekinesis and matter control, including transmutation, was incredibly powerful. And it had an almost limitless potential for being dangerous, so control of her mental abilities had the most emphasis placed on it. Lissa had never been allowed to live as other people her age did. There had been no time for play, no time for relaxation, no time for love. 

          Then she had been sent to briefly serve in the Alliance at Galaxy Garrison, and her life had been turned upside down. There, she'd met one dashing young pilot by the name of Lance, and she'd never been the same. Lance was charming, outgoing, reckless, and downright delicious. He had a habit of rebelling against the status quo, and to someone like Lissa who'd spent her whole life doing as she was told, his attitude was both refreshing and intoxicating. 

Lance had treated her like a person, not an experimental bio weapon, and Lissa had fallen madly in love with him. She hadn't stood a chance. He'd valued her opinions, encouraged her dreams, and spent hours on end finding ways to make her laugh. He was a perfect gentleman with her, never crossing the line, although at times she could tell he wanted to. She was absolutely mad for him. And when he admitted to being in love with her, she realized there was more to life then duty and honor, but she was still bound by the knowledge that she had a rare gift, and it would be a crime to not use it in defense of the weak.     

          Her life had become a living hell. On the one hand, she was deliriously happy with Lance. Her heart pounded at the very mention of his name, and her knees got weak whenever he was nearby. They were so well suited to one another that it seemed as if they had been made for one another. Soul mates. On the other hand, she was guilt stricken by the knowledge that if she didn't join the Legion, many innocents might suffer because of her selfish desire to be a normal woman, to live out her life with the man she loved. In this one decision, Lance refused to help her. He said he didn't want to unduly influence her, and so he'd remained silent.

          In the end, duty had won out over love. She rationalized that leaving Lance was the best thing for both of them. He had known she was in training to join the Legion when they met. He'd known she would have to leave him. White Riders rode alone. They were forbidden to have even memories. And so she'd left him, walked out of his life without so much as a good bye, because she knew if she'd gone to him, she would never have been able to leave his side. 

          She had lived in despair since that day. At first, it had been easy to not think about him. The initiation into the Legion of Light was a grueling test of mental and physical endurance that lasted for weeks, where a new member was sent to a war torn planet, alone, and left there to either defeat the tyrants responsible for the wars and then liberate the innocent civilians, or die trying. After passing her initiation, she was sent to be viewed by the Elders of the White Riders. 

That had been far more difficult. When a person joined the Legion of Light's elite unit, they left behind all contact with the outside. This was necessary for the survival of the Legion, and it insured loyalty as well. The Elders could see into a person's heart and soul, and if they found so much as a trace of weakness, it meant rejection. Only utter exhaustion from her initial test as a member of the Legion of Light saved her. She'd been too tired to think about Lance, or anything else for that matter, and so she'd passed the scrutiny of the Elders.    

Then she had been given into the care of Fire Storm, her Familiar. She knew that most people thought a Familiar belonged to its master, but Lissa had found that this was not the case at all. While her bond with Fire Storm did increase her natural talent, her beloved companion was hardly subservient to her will. He was, in fact, loud and demanding, and quite arrogant, often going against her decisions in the first year of their bonding. She had been too busy learning to deal with the nuances of her relationship with her Familiar to give much thought to her lost love, though at night her dreams had been haunted by Lance.

But as time wore on and she fell into a routine, she often found her mind returning to the long ago days she had spent by his side, and she grew restless, wondering if she'd made the right choice after all. Fire Storm had sensed her unhappiness through the bond they shared, but Lissa had refused to discuss it with him, and because their link was mostly empathic, he was unable to discover the nature of her sorrow. She had started volunteering for increasingly dangerous, drawn out missions. The Elders had been only too happy to comply with her seemingly boundless enthusiasm for charging into the midst of evil and destroying it. Fire Storm knew the truth behind her actions, that she was hiding from something, but he quietly went along with her choices of assignments, no matter how risky they were.

Ironically, it was her Familiar's devotion that finally led to Lissa coming to her senses, enough at least to stop taking every suicide mission that the Legion had to offer. On a campaign against a Mage Lord on the planet Erent, Fire Storm was nearly killed when he took a blast from a death spell that had been intended to strike Lissa down. She had felt his pain through their bond, and his love for her, and she had been humbled by it and sickened by her selfishness, for she'd not only been exposing herself to harm, but her companion as well. She had taken a vacation after that mission, insisting on remaining inactive until Fire Storm was completely healed.

During that time, her mind had been idle, and it had strayed to Lance one too many times. Fire Storm was able to guess that it was a man from her past that troubled her so, and while it was in conflict with her Oath to serve the Legion completely, free of regret, his loyalty to her was so profound that he never once considered turning her in to the Elders. Once he was healed, Lissa had thrown herself into work once more, plagued by her sense of loss and her growing feelings of unhappiness. However, this time she made certain to volunteer for only moderately dangerous missions. That was how she'd ended up as Prince Ower's bodyguard.

Planet Alcon was in the midst of civil war. Many of its lords thought Prince Ower was too weak and narrow minded to rule, and Lissa was inclined to agree with them. Prince Ower was arrogant, impatient, and uncharitable. He had no redeeming qualities that she could think of. She would never swear allegiance to a man such as him, and she could see why many of the people of Alcon were rebelling rather then adopt him as their sovereign. But it was her duty to keep him safe, and so she would protect him with her very life if necessary, much as she disliked him.

 And now here she was, stuck on Planet Arus with the one man she'd fought so hard to forget. Fire Storm was no fool, he'd figure out Lissa's feelings for Lance in no time. She wasn't worried that he'd report her to the Elders, he was her Familiar, and she alone commanded his fealty. But he would doubtless wish to leave Arus once he discovered the truth, and Lissa had given her word that she'd stay until the revolts on Alcon were taken care of. That could be months from now, and she knew Fire Storm wasn't going to like remaining on Arus one bit, not when the one man in the universe who could inspire her to have thoughts about leaving the Legion of Light happened to be there as well.

Ok, so I need a little help here. In the next chapter, Lance is going to get a bit of a shakedown. I haven't decided which member of the Voltron Force is going to antagonize him, yet. I want to know who you think would be the best person for the job. There are a lot of angles to go from with this one (ie should I incorporate humor, such as Pinch giving Lance love advice, or perhaps put in understanding, with Keith-who knows all too well about forbidden love, etc., etc), and I can't make up my mind, so please, help me out! 


	5. Gentle Inquisition

**A/N: I do not own Voltron, or any of its characters. I am not financially profiting from this story.**

**Sorry this chapter took so long. Thanks to yamotoforever for the review. This chapter's for you! Although, um, you might be mad at me because I didn't use your suggestion…But I will, in the future.**

          Lance slowly made his way back into the Castle of Lions, his thoughts in a whirl. Lissa had always affected him this way: turning him into a churning mess of emotions. He was glad to have her back in his life, but at the same time, he was still furious with her for leaving him. Seeing her in the clothes of the White Riders only served to remind him that she was a member of that elite fighting force now, forever beyond his reach. It was torture of the worst kind, having the one you loved so near, but unattainable. Lance was not a patient man, he never had been, and he wasn't sure how he'd hold up under the strain of having her around and not being able to touch her. Even as a younger man, that had always been very difficult, only his love for her had allowed him to keep his resolve. With his new feelings of bitterness and sorrow, he wasn't at all certain of his ability to control himself.

          He had taken perhaps five steps into the courtyard when a voice said, "Alright, what was that scene in the dining room all about?"

          Lance looked up, startled, into the very piercing eyes of one very curios princess. He inwardly stifled a groan of dismay. Allura had a gleam in her gaze that he knew only too well, she wouldn't leave until he talked to her. He wanted to smack himself in the head as he recalled the brief, hostile confrontation he'd had with Prince Ower on the dining room. He'd threatened the man, and practically swooned at Lissa's feet. Allura would never believe him if he tried to say nothing was going on. Although Allura was innocent and naïve about some things, she was by no means stupid.

          "Um, well, Lissa is an old friend of mine," he said, sending her a half-hearted smile and trying to edge around her.

          Allura folded her arms over her chest and said, "Yes, I could tell that much for myself. I take it from the way you rushed to defend her honor that she must have been a very close friend."

          "Yes, she was," Lance said with an exaggeratedly cheerful voice as he scouted the courtyard, trying to find a way around the princess.

          "How close, I wonder," Allura mused, her words not quite a question, but one was implied, nonetheless.

          Lance felt sweat break out on the back of his neck. He really didn't want to have a heart to heart discussion with the princess about his love life. Not now, not ever. His feelings were his own, as far as he was concerned, but he knew enough about women to realize she wasn't going to let him out of this without a fight. Or at least answering a few of her questions. He debated with himself, wondering the extent of what he should tell her. She simply stood there, waiting with infinite patience. Allura was a trustworthy person, and Lance knew it, but he didn't want to bare his soul to anyone. He was used to taking care of himself. And his love for Lissa was the most painful, soul-shattering burden he'd ever had to carry. Not that he ever wanted to be rid of the memory of her, he'd just never expected to see her again. 

          Lance stared at her for a moment, seeing the look of concern in her eyes, and finally he relented. He was afraid, but he knew she'd never ridicule him. And it would be so nice to have someone he could confide in about Lissa. Perhaps Allura could help him understand her better, they were both women, after all. Besides, since Lissa had given her word to remain on Arus until the civil war on Alcon was taken care of, she'd be there for a while. And he'd be a nervous wreck the entire time. The team was going to notice his odd reaction to her, maybe Allura could help him cover it up.

          "I loved her," Lance said, his voice heavy with emotion, as memories danced through his mind with startling intensity. "I loved her more then anything or anyone in my life, and I still do."

          Allura had thought as much, but she was still surprised to hear the brash pilot admit to his feelings. His expression had been less then friendly when she'd cornered him, and the look in his eyes had suggested he wasn't going to cooperate with her gentle prodding, but to her surprise, he had capitulated. Completely, it seemed, because she'd never imagined he'd freely confess to the extent of his feelings for the woman. "I see. What happened?"

          Lance gave a careless shrug, but his face grew troubled as past pain surged to the surface. "She left me."

          Allura frowned, recalling the look of yearning in Lissa's eyes as she'd looked at Lance in the dining hall. "I find that hard to believe."

          "Not as hard as I did," Lance said with a bitter laugh, remembering the devastation he'd felt when he learned she was gone.

          Allura heard the pain in his voice, and she reached out and clasped his hand. "I think we should go somewhere private to continue this discussion," she said, seeing how distressed he was already becoming, and she hadn't even asked him much about the subject. The rec room was out of the question, since the other guys would most likely be there, and Lance's room was too likely to have surprise guests. But now, her room was a safe haven, since the boys were too afraid of Nanny's awesome ranting presence to dare going there. "How about my room?"

          "Fine," Lance said, his voice listless as he drowned in remembered sorrow. He'd loved her so much, and she'd taken his heart and broken it with her callous behavior. It had been so easy for her to leave him, and that was the hardest thing for him to accept. She'd walked out of his life as if he'd meant nothing to her, and it had hurt like hell.

          Allura quickly led him to her room, after making certain Nanny was nowhere in sight. She did NOT want to get caught with a man in her room. She locked the door behind them and then dropped down onto her bed, watching in silence as Lance restlessly walked around her room. After several moments, it became apparent he wasn't going to sit down, so Allura said, "Why did she leave you?"

          Lance went still, his eyes snapping to Allura's, and the sadness in his gaze was profound, lending testimony to the depths of his love. "For duty, of course. To serve in the Legion of Light."

          Allura knew the laws of the Legion, and those of the White Riders as well. It was hard for her to believe that someone would choose a life of war over love, when she had spent her whole life searching for peace. "I don't understand," she whispered, her eyes confused.

          "Neither do I," Lance laughed, the sound harsh and strained. "At least, not completely. She was trained from childhood to be a member of the Legion, her father saw to it she placed duty before everything else. Lissa always thought it was a great honor to live to protect the weak. She once told me she would be committing a terrible crime against the innocents of the universe if she turned her back on the Legion to stay with me. So her father trained her well. In the end, she chose duty over love." 

          Allura paled as she considered the choice Lissa had been forced to make. To live her life with the man she loved, but feel as if she'd abandoned those who were too weak to defend themselves, or to leave Lance and live a life devoid of love, closeness of any kind. It was a terrible choice to make, and Allura wondered if she'd have done the same thing. The answer was yes, of course. She loved the people of Arus more then anything, and in fact, there was man she loved and could never have, because her duty to protect her world came first. So, in a way, she had made the same choice as Lissa.

          "How awful for both of you," Allura said, her eyes shining with tears.

          "Oh, I don't think it was nearly so hard for Lissa as it was for me," Lance bitterly replied. "She left me without so much as a good bye."

          "What?" Allura asked, stunned. She'd seen the way that woman looked at Lance. Lissa loved him still. To leave Lance without saying goodbye must have taken every ounce of her willpower. "Why would she do that?"

          "Who knows?" Lance said, but his eyes were dark and his face taut. "I want to ask her the same thing myself. It's been haunting me for the better part of two years now. And I intend to find out, soon."

          Allura stared at Lance in silence. He seemed so very calm, despite his inner turmoil. She didn't know if that was good or not. She was used to him being impulsive and annoying. This somewhat serene anger didn't seem healthy. "Maybe I could talk to her. You know, female bonding and all that, so you won't have to have any kind of confrontation with her,"

          Lance smiled at her grimly. "No. I'm going to ask her myself. It's something I've wanted to know for years. I'm not saying you can't be friends with her, but don't interfere in this Allura."

          There was a blatant warning in his words, and she was stunned by it. Lance had always been very gentle and considerate with her in the past. It was obvious this woman superseded all sense of fairness or politeness where he was concerned. Lance might be willing to confide in her, but he wasn't going to let her help him. Maybe it was enough that she just be there for him.

          "Ok," she answered, her eyes searching. "I won't interfere."

          Lance smiled then, a genuine smile, and said, "Thank you for caring enough to badger me into talking to you, Allura. This is something I've been dealing with on my own, and it never seems to go away. It's nice to be able to get it off my chest, for a little while." 

          Allura nodded, thinking of her own forbidden love, and she understood his pain, more then he could ever know.

          In the next chapter, the rest of the Force is going to meet Lissa, and Allura's new Prince Charming. Lance has only lived through one interrogation. I have more lined up, and let's say they're not all going to be sympathetic to his pain.


	6. Introductions

**A/N: I do not own Voltron, its characters or settings. Lissa and the Legion of Light are mine, however.**

          Lissa woke with the dawn, filled with trepidation about seeing Lance again. She had decided to tell Fire Storm everything. Her Familiar deserved to know what was going on, and, more importantly, he would be far more cooperative if she didn't keep him out in the dark. Although she knew he wasn't going to like what she told him one bit. She dressed in her white uniform and grimaced as she caught a view of herself in the mirror. Once, these pristine raiments had meant so much to her. Now they symbolized eternal servitude to an institution she no longer wished to belong to.

          She slowly made her way downstairs, her mind on troubling thoughts, when an alarmingly bright voice said, "Hey there, you must be one of the visitors Coran told me about, I'm Pidge, pilot of the Green Lion."

          Lissa blinked as a small boy walked into view. He was about her height, but younger then her by a few years. He wore enormous glasses, had an uncontrolled mass of dark hair, and was dressed in green. Two mice were sitting on his shoulders, chattering away at one another, but he seemed to be oblivious to their presence. He was smiling at her in an expectant way, so she bowed her head and said, "I am Lissa of the White Riders. It is a pleasure to meet you, Pidge."

          He grinned and said, "Wow, if I'd known you were going to be this pretty, I'd have tried to run into you earlier."

          Lissa blinked at his owlish expression, not sure she'd heard him right, but the young boy impulsively grabbed her hand and said, "Come on, I'll introduce you to the rest of the team."

          Before Lissa knew what he was about, Pidge had started dragging her down the hall to a nearby room. In it were all manners of electrical devices, furniture, the princess Prince Ower hoped to romance, and two strange men Lissa had not yet met. Allura's eyes widened as she watched Pidge pull Lissa into the rec room, her first instinct to get the other woman out of there as quickly as possible since she knew Lance wouldn't like Lissa meeting the rest of the team when he wasn't there yet. But before she could get up, Hunk turned around, took one look at the woman with Pidge, and got stars in his eyes.

          "Well, hello! Who's this, Pidge?"

          "This is Lissa, one of the guests Coran told us about. Lissa, meet Hunk. He's the pilot of the Yellow Lion. That grumpy looking loner over there is our captain, Keith. He pilots the Black Lion. And she's Princess Allura-"

           "Yes, I know, we've met," Lissa gently interrupted the hyperactive young man, an amused look on her face.

          Keith, blushing a bright shade of red at the unflattering portrayal Pidge had made of him, gallantly walked up to the young woman and said, "Welcome to Arus. Will you be staying long?"

          Lissa smiled at him, thinking that he was very handsome indeed. Keith noticed her appreciation, and returned her look of admiration with open interest. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw the princess glaring at them, and in an instant realized someone besides her knew the meaning of complicated love. Allura had nothing to worry about, though. Lissa's heart belonged to Lance. She was just sharing a moment of physical attraction with Keith, which was something that always happened when two good-looking people met. It meant nothing; it was just sort of an acknowledgement and appreciation of one another's beauty.

          "I have no idea how long I'll be here. My charge, Prince Ower, is seeking refuge here until the wars on Alcon are at an end. It could be days, or even weeks. I honestly can't say."

          "Well, you're more then welcome to stay as long as you want," Hunk bellowed, his eyes besotted as he stared at the lovely young woman.

          Lissa smiled back at him, thinking he reminded her of a teddy bear. "Thank you, Hunk. That is most kind."

          The big man blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sure, no problem."

          Pidge stared at his friend and then started laughing, which earned him a glare from the bigger man. Wise for his years, Pidge scrambled out of grabbing range, but Hunk gave pursuit, chasing him from the rec room. Allura, Keith and Lissa stared after them for a moment, and then the captain awkwardly cleared his throat and said, "You'll have to forgive them. They get a little carried away at times."

          "It's quite alright, captain. I've worked with men before, and if there's one universal law in life, it's that boys will be boys," Lissa replied, deliberately making her statement vague enough so that it wasn't necessarily derisive.

          Keith stared at her for a moment, judging her words, before giving a brief nod. Allura moved over to join them, and this time Lissa could see quite clearly the possessive look in the other woman's eyes. She wanted to laugh out loud, but decided against it. That would only create an embarrassing scene. But it was ironic the princess worried she might find Keith interesting. That was one thing Lissa knew would never happen. In her years with the Legion, she'd had many men attempt to win her hand through means both fair and foul. None had succeeded. She loved Lance with her entire being.

          As if the cosmos read her mind, and perhaps it did for all she knew, Lance walked through the rec room doors, his face disgruntled. "What has gotten into the bear and the midget?" he grumbled, his hair mussed. "They just trampled me in the hall."

          Keith shrugged, "I have no idea."

          Lissa and Allura exchanged knowing glances and smiled.

          Lance looked in their direction and went still when he saw Lissa. He scowled at the look the two women exchanged. Keith noticed his strange behavior and frowned.

          "Have you met our guest, Lance?" Keith asked, wondering why his second in command was glaring at the beautiful young woman. Normally the pilot was quite the Casanova, going out of his way to charm the ladies. Keith had never seen him angry with one before.

          "Yes," Lance answered him, not bothering to go into detail.

          Despite Lance's brief answer, Keith sensed a wealth of history between his friend and the visitor. For the moment, he held his tongue and decided to simply watch and listen.

          "Good morning, Lance," Allura said brightly, her expression amused.

          Lance glared at her, knowing she was enjoying his discomfort. "Good Morning Princess, Lissa."

          "Did you sleep well?" Lissa asked, her voice mildly concerned at his haggard appearance.

          Lance looked at her in surprise, and his face was less harsh when he replied, "As well as can be expected under the circumstances."

          Allura snorted in a most unlady like fashion, and Keith frowned, glancing at the other people in the room. Something was definitely going on here, and they all seemed to know about it, except for him. He'd have to have a word with Lance later, it seemed.

          "Perhaps you could take a walk with me," Lissa said, smiling at him in a way that made Lance's blood race.

          "When?" he countered, eager to get things out in the open between them, since he was not accustomed to displaying patience.

          "Now, I think," she answered, holding her hand out to him.

          With a sigh of relief, Lance took her hand and, sparing a quick glance for Keith and Allura, said, "I'll see you at practice."

          Allura and Keith watched the two leave, electricity obviously flying between them, and Allura smiled at the romance of the moment. Whatever Lance's thoughts on the matter, the princess knew Lissa loved him. She had a feeling all would turn out well. Or, at least she hoped it would.

          "What was that all about?" Keith asked the moment the door closed.

          Allura blinked at him innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Keith. Lance went for a walk with Lissa."

          Keith frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, and Allura nearly swooned at how handsome he looked. "Something's going on here, princess, and as Team Leader I think I have a right to know. It's my job to see to it that the team runs smoothly, and if that woman is going to interfere with Lance's duties-" 

          Allura held a hand up and said, "Please, Keith, be patient. You're right, something is going on, but I don't have the right to tell you about it. Ask Lance when he gets back, alright?"

          Keith looked down at her for a moment and then nodded in agreement. It was obvious the princess knew what was going on, and though it bothered him that she wouldn't confide in him, he was proud of her for keeping Lance's secrets private. Although he was a bit jealous the other pilot had chosen to confide in the princess. He hadn't realized they were that close, and Keith didn't like it at all. He'd always been strangely possessive of the princess, though he refused to face that fact.

          Next chapter, Lissa and Lance have a sweet little heart to heart…


	7. Forgiveness

**A/N: I do not own Voltron, its characters or settings, but Lissa and the Legion of Light are my own.**

**Sorry this took so long! I was on vacation and I know, I know, I should have warned you all first, but I'll try to make it up to you.**

**Thank you to RedLion and yamatoforever for your reviews. All I can say about Keith and Lance is, well, they might have forbidden love with unattainable women in common, but that's about all. I'm going to have a very good time with Pidge's upcoming confrontation with Lance, as well. Now, on to the story.**

          Lissa led Lance out of the rec room, her heart pounding with anxiety. She was acutely aware of the warmth of his hand holding hers. Pidge and Hunk were wrestling in the hall, the smaller boy had actually managed to get the larger man in a headlock, and cheerfully waved at Lissa as she walked by. He then boldly winked at Lance, which earned him a glare from the distracted older man. Lance had no time for Pidge's mischievous ways, his thoughts were centered on Lissa at the moment, and the sheer heaven of touching her after so very long. True, they were only holding hands, but Lance would take whatever he could get. 

          Lissa walked outside and made her way to a stone bench in the center of the deserted courtyard. Lance chose to stand, not quite certain what was going to happen. Several moments passed in silence, with Lissa looking at Lance patiently. He started to fidget, made uncomfortable by the lengthening silence between them. Lissa, seeing that he wasn't going to speak without prompting, sighed and said, "Well, you're being awfully quiet for someone who mentioned needing to talk to me last night."

          Lance blinked at her and then flushed, knowing it was his strained nerves that had made him keep quiet until she gave him some sort of indication as to where to begin. "Sorry, I'm not much of a morning person."

          Lissa smiled at him, her eyes shining. "I know."

          Lance returned her smile, unable to stop himself. For a moment, there was nothing but shared memories and joy between them, but all too soon reality returned, bringing with it the question that had been plaguing Lance for years.

          "Why did you leave without saying goodbye?"

          Lissa went still and closed her eyes. She'd guessed he would ask her why she'd run out, but not so quickly. He certainly knew how to cut to the chase. She opened her eyes and met his gaze head on, knowing he deserved the full truth, even if it meant exposing her feelings to him.

          "Because I had no other choice," she whispered. Lance's expression grew confused, but before he could speak, she held up a hand to silence him. "Leaving you to serve in the Legion is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. At the time, I knew that if I went to tell you goodbye, I would never have been able to leave you, duty be damned. I loved you more then anything."

          Lance stared at her, her words ringing in his head. She'd walked out because she wouldn't have been able to leave his side. She'd loved him that much. The notion was astounding, and brought a brief surge of happiness with it. But these bright feelings were dimmed by his pent up sorrow, and the fact that she'd spoken of her love for him in the past tense.

          "That was wrong of you, Lissa. You knew how much I loved you. Do you have any idea what kind of pain you put me through that day?" he asked, his voice tight with grief.

          Lissa stared at him in silence, her eyes widening as she realized for the first time that her own cowardly behavior had hurt him. She hadn't thought of it from his perspective in the past, she'd been too busy running away from her feelings to think of his own. Tears came to her eyes and she threw herself into his arms.

          "I am so sorry Lance," she said, her voice shaking. "I never wanted to hurt you. I was trying to do what was best for us."

          He closed his arms around her, savoring the bittersweet feeling of having her in his embrace again. He placed his cheek against the top of her head and murmured, "We never did see eye to eye on what was best for us. You know I wanted you to stay. Did you think that leaving without saying goodbye would lessen my pain? Did you imagine that for one second I could just say to myself 'oh well, she's gone, time to move on' and that would be the end of it?"

          "I don't know what I thought," she admitted, her words muffled against his chest. "I was afraid of being alone, and heart broken over losing you, so I wasn't thinking very clearly."

          "No, you weren't," he agreed, holding her as close to him as he could, savoring the feel of her. "If you had stopped to think, you would have realized that no matter how you chose to leave me, it would have hurt me, because I was losing the one I loved. At least I could have said goodbye to you, and had some kind of closure. Instead, I've spent years wondering why you ran out on me."

          Lissa leaned her head back to look at him, and Lance's heart constricted at the sight of tears sliding down her cheeks. "It was cowardice, plain and simple. Never think for one moment that I didn't care about you or love you, because I did. Can you ever forgive me?"

           Lance could never stay angry with her, and he knew it. He was still upset by what she had done, and probably would be for quite some time. But he couldn't hold it against her, not when he knew she hadn't done it to be cruel. Right now, he was more concerned with the fact that they kept referring to their love in a past tense. He couldn't simply blurt out that he still loved her, not when it seemed as if she no longer loved him. Oh, he knew she cared for him. Lissa was a kind hearted person and undoubtedly still felt close to him because of their past relationship. But that appeared to be the extent of her feelings for him. No way he was going to embarrass himself with declarations of love to an uninterested person.

          "Of course I can," he said, giving her a grin and then placing an affectionate kiss on her cheek before stepping away from her.

          Lissa blinked at him, feeling suddenly alone. She didn't understand why he'd moved away from her, unless it was because he was uncomfortable holding her. Did he no longer care for her? He'd seemed so consumed by the sight of her before, but perhaps that was because he'd wanted to know the reason she'd walked out on him. She'd hurt his pride, no doubt. He was obviously over her now, though, and she wondered who it was that had taken her place.

          "Well, good," she replied, still feeling disconcerted. "Is that all you wished to discuss?"

          Lance nodded, needing to put distance between them until he could manage to resign himself to her apparent lack of interest in him. "For the moment. I do want to hear about what you've been doing in the Legion, as well, but not right now. I, er, have to run through a few drills with the Red Lion."  

          Lissa gave him a slight amile and said, "Alright. I'll see you later then, perhaps at dinner."

          Lance grinned at her and said, "Not likely. The guys on the team can't stand Allura's suitors, and Prince Ower seems more annoying then any other man I've ever met. And that's saying a lot, because I'm well acquainted with Prince Lotor of planet Doom."

          Lissa frowned, her expression puzzled. "You were just at dinner yesterday, though."

          Lance laughed. "I know. I went because I wanted to see the prince's female bodyguard."

          Lissa assumed it was because he had an eye for women, and kept silent, though she felt like screaming at him. She'd spent the last couple years pining over his memory, but he didn't seem to have given her much thought. How many women had there been, she wondered. It was something she'd never ask him. "I see. Well. I need to check on Fire Storm. Perhaps I'll see you later."

          She stormed away then, before she was tempted to say anything rash. Lance's smile vanished the moment she turned away from him, replaced by a look of raw pain. The idea that he'd lost her forever was painful, but not unexpected. She'd been gone for years, it was only natural that she'd gotten over him. If only he could get over her, his life would be so much easier.  

            Lissa made her way down to the lake, her vision blurred by tears. She knew she was being ridiculous, but she'd always thought his heart would belong to her. It was unrealistic of her to think he'd choose to remain alone the rest of his life if he couldn't be with her, but the knowledge that he most likely had been with other women was unbearable. Although she couldn't see clearly, she sensed Fire Storm's presence, and while she dreaded the upcoming conversation she was going to have with him, she craved his attention, knowing he'd be sympathetic to her pain.

          She stopped at the water's edge and dropped into an ungraceful heap on the grass, her sniffles audible in the still morning air. She heard the gentle splash of rippling water and knew her Familiar was surfacing to greet her. She felt the very instant he saw her, for there was a sense of panic emanating from him, and she smiled in Fire Storm's direction to reassure him.

          "Don't worry, I'm ok," she said, her voice unnaturally high.

          Fire Storm slithered onto the grass and curled up by her side, his reptilian visage clearly dismayed. "Perhaps you are unharmed in a physical sense, but I can feel your pain, sister heart. What has happened? Is it that stupid boy? If he has hurt you, he will be punished."

           Lissa laughed at his threatening tone, but she was still slightly worried how he was going to react to what she had to tell him. "Well, it does have to do with Lance, but you can't harm him. It's not his fault I'm in this predicament. I have no one to blame but myself."

          There was utter silence for a moment as Fire Storm gave her a considering look. Then the Familiar sighed and said, "Perhaps you should tell me what happened. And do start from the very beginning, won't you? I'm most curious to know about this man's relationship to you."

          Lissa smiled as she nodded, her eyes closing as her mind drifted back to those blissful days when she had first met Lance, her voice almost reverent as she began to tell her tale of love and loss.


	8. A Minor Confrontation

**A/N: I do not own Voltron, its characters or settings. New things are mine, of course.**

**Thank you yamato for your review. Fire Storm would never breach his lady's trust by going to Allura, but there are other ways information can be bandied about. I'm still deciding.**

            Lance spent the rest of the day running through drills. He worked out in the gym until exhaustion set in, and then he pushed himself to the limit, taking his lion out for an extended series of flight patterns. He had always wondered why Keith forced himself to go through such rigorous sessions on a daily basis, but he was beginning to understand why. Though his captain had never come out and admitted as much, Lance knew very well that Keith was madly in love with Allura. Lance also knew the princess returned the team leader's feelings. Hell, even Pidge and Hunk knew about it. Only the two lovebirds seemed to be unaware of their feelings for one another, as unlikely as that seemed. How could two people be so blind?

          Keith was up and training before dawn at times, and now Lance realized it was probably the other man's way of dealing with his seemingly unrequited feelings of love. That was the very reason Lance was working himself so hard. He wanted to be so tired; his brain would be too numb to think. True, it might be a cowardly way to deal with his emotions, but it was so much easier then facing the fact that the woman he loved was on Arus and seemingly uninterested in him. When was his love life ever going to stop putting him through hell?

          "Lance, good to see you out here," Keith's voice suddenly called out over the intercom in the Red Lion's center console, startling Lance and drawing his gaze to the vid link located there. "I wish the rest of the team would indulge in a little extra training without my prompting."

          Personally, Lance would call it ball busting, but he wisely kept that thought to himself. Keith was fanatical about the Voltron team drills, and he was frequently disappointed by the fact that his companions liked having lives outside of Voltron. Lance managed a tired smile and said, "Yeah, well, I just got the urge to take Red Lion through a few drills."

          His captain regarded him in silence for a moment, but there was an odd expression on the other man's face. "I assumed as much, although I wouldn't call three hours of combative flight sessions a few drills."

          Lance frowned, unaware that he'd been watched during his training. "Well, I was just thinking it's been a while since Lotor and his cronies attacked, so an invasion is probably due any day now."

          Again, Keith hesitated. "I suppose that could be the case," he finally said, but the tone of his voice clearly conveyed he didn't think that was the truth. "Hunk also mentioned that he thought he saw you at the gym earlier."

          Lance tensed up, starting to wonder if he was being followed or monitored in some way. The idea did not sit well with him, and his voice was terse when he responded. "I haven't hit the weights in a while, just thought I'd do a little toning, that's all."

          "For three hours?" Keith asked, a disbelieving edge to his words.

          Lance bristled, resenting the fact that he was apparently being spied on. "Are you out here to train, or harass me?"

          Keith blinked, not expecting Lance to balk in such a fashion. The truth was, he'd been taking the Black Lion out to go on a few short drills when Princess Allura had flagged him down and told him about Lance's insane physical exertions of the day. It was obvious she was worried about the pilot, and although initially Keith had been only mildly curious about Lance's strange behavior, his hostile attitude had fully captured the captain's undivided attention. It was not like Lance to be so rude. True, he was a smart ass with a temper, but he rarely treated Keith with flat out disrespect.

          "I came out here to train. Look, Lance, the Princess was worried about you and asked me to check in with you, that's all," Keith slowly replied, eyeing the other man's tense expression.

          "I'm a big boy," Lance gritted out; annoyed that Allura was drawing unwanted attention to him. "I can take care of myself."

          Keith frowned at Lance's sharp words, his own temper starting to get the better of him. "Well, at the moment you're acting like a child. What's the matter with you? Allura's only concerned about you."

          Lance's hands tightened on the controls, his eyes narrowing. "You can tell her thanks for the concern, but I already have a mother."

          Keith was a patient man by nature, and would tolerate quite a bit, but he didn't like the way Lance was mocking Allura's kindhearted concern for him. He would allow no one to show disrespect to the Princess, not even his own teammates. "Watch it, Lance," he said, his voice deceptively soft.

          "Or what, lover boy? You'll lecture me to death?" Lance sarcastically asked. "I think you're the one who needs to watch it. My personal business is none of your concern."

          "It is when you bring the Red Lion into it," Keith shot back. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

          "Nothing I care to discuss," Lance snapped, turning his lion and heading back for the castle.

          Keith watched the Red Lion move away for all of five seconds, and then sent the Black Lion into pursuit, cutting the other robot's path off. "You might not care to discuss it, but you will. Now. That's an order, Lance," Keith harshly commanded.     

           Lance glared at the other man, his expression decidedly angry. "Listen up, Keith, I already told you once, and I'm not going to repeat myself again. My personal life is none of your business."

          "And I told you that if you bring the Red Lion into it, it is. Plus, if your current hostile behavior continues, it's going to affect the rest of the team, and that IS my business," Keith coldly replied.

            "I don't want to talk about it, understand?" Lance asked, his words coming out slow, his pronunciation of them exaggerated for emphasis.

          "The only thing I understand is that you're acting like a prick," Keith snapped. "Does this have something to do with that Lissa woman?"

          Lance went very still at hearing her name, his emotions too raw and close to the surface to control. Though he said nothing, Keith read the truth in his face. 

          "What's the deal with you two?" Keith demanded.

          Lance ignored him, maneuvering the Red Lion around the Black Lion and descending to the fields outside of the castle. Keith allowed him to land, but doggedly followed, dropping the Black Lion onto the grass beside the Red Lion as Lance climbed out. Keith rushed out of his own robot, literally breaking into a run as Lance made his way to the castle without so much as a back ward glance. Sensing the other man might actually throw a punch if grabbed from behind, Keith moved in front of Lance and blocked his path, crossing his arms over his chest and giving the other man a stern glare. 

          "It is the woman, isn't it?" he asked. "It has to be her. I've never seen you like this before, man. You're acting like you're out of your mind."

Lance drew up, his hands balling into fists at his side. "Drop it, Keith. Now."

Keith shook his head. "No. You'd better start talking Lance, because if you don't, I'm going to have to assume the woman's driving you to distraction, and I will see to it that she is sent away from Arus for the good of the team. You can't continue acting like this, it'll tear the team apart and we'll be easy targets for the forces of Doom. Do you want to cost the lives of innocent people because of whatever issues you have with this woman?"

That was the last thing Lance wanted to hear. His temper, already precariously on the edge, broke and he snarled, "Why is it that only the innocents matter? When, exactly, do I get to matter?"

Keith stared at him in confusion. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"The lives of the unnamed innocents cost me the love of my life, are they going to cost me my right to have emotions and grieve as well?"

Keith uncrossed his arms and took a step away from Lance; the rage in the other man's voice was so prominent. "Look, Lance, I'm not sure what you're referring to, but I want to help you, if I can. Why don't you just tell me what's going on with you?"

            Seeing that Keith wasn't going to give up, Lance sighed in frustration. Telling his captain might not be such a bad thing. After all, the other man knew all about star-crossed love. Shrugging his shoulder in defeat, Lance proceeded to tell Keith the entire story, from beginning to end.

          Fire Storm sat in grim contemplation, digesting the tale Lissa had told him. It was as he had feared. She was being troubled by a man from her past, only the situation was far worse then he had assumed. Lissa was truly in love with the boy, and the Familiar suspected the man might return her feelings. She was so devoted to him that she had risked not only her own life, but Fire Storm's as well in the past. This was no small crush, no passing affair. The man was her soul mate, and the Familiar feared the very worst might come to pass. That she might actually turn her back on the Legion for the love of a man. 

            The Elders would be furious, their wrath both swift and devastating. Fire Storm knew very well the penalty for desertion, as did Lissa. The Elders did not look kindly on those who would dishonor the order, either. He had not given her any advice as of yet, but had instead sent her off to rest, for she was clearly overwrought. But he was greatly troubled, and knew he would have to speak with her as soon as she was finished resting. It would not be a pleasant task, but she had to be made to see that she belonged in the White Riders. It was her destiny.   


	9. Outside Insight

**A/N: I do not own Voltron, its characters or settings. Anything new is mine.**

**Thank you to Failte, RedLion and yamatoforever for reviewing. **

**Failte: I was worried I might have gone on and on about Lissa's past a bit much, but I thought it necessary for the story. Glad you liked it. I think character development Is important, though it's easy to get carried away with it, too. Hee hee.**

**RedLion: I think people who are in love tend to act pretty crazy, jumping to conclusions all the time thanks to the intensity of their emotions. Lance can see Keith and Allura's love because he's on the outside of it, just as Keith and Allura can see what's between Lance and Lissa. It's funny how things like that happen. Plus, it's fun to write about!**

**Yamato: Don't worry; Fire Storm is an honorable creature. He'd never try to kill Lance. Oh, he'd threaten him and intimidate him, but never actually hurt him, since he knows Lissa loves Lance. Plus, he doesn't have venom… No, really, Fire Storm will only do what he thinks is just, and killing an innocent man is not in his nature. But he will try to put an end to their relationship to save Lissa from disgrace or even more lethal consequences. Unfortunately for Fire Storm, he's not as clever as he likes to believe.**

            Keith remained silent until Lance had finished talking. The story was not a pretty one, he had to admit, and he knew Lance had to be feeling an unbelievable amount of pain. He was surprised the other pilot had managed to keep such a secret, but he was beginning to realize that the sarcastic behavior Lance favored was a shield for a much softer interior. Keith could sympathize with the other man, because he knew a thing or two about forbidden love.

          Allura. She was everything he'd ever wanted in life, and nothing he could have. She was kind and honest and caring, and she stood up for what she believed in no matter the cost to herself. How could he not love her? But the fact remained that she was royalty and it was her duty to marry a prince, which Keith would never be. He was a pilot, a soldier, nothing more. But he could be there for her, and he always was. He offered her a shoulder to cry on when she was hurt, an ear to talk to when she was frustrated, and support in any way she needed it. She was his sun, his moon, his heaven, and his hell. And it seemed Lissa was Lance's reason for living, as Allura was Keith's.

          Keith sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Man, you've been through hell."

          "Yeah, and last time I checked, I was still there," Lance muttered.

          Keith frowned and said, "I know she gave her word to stay on Arus until it's safe for Prince Ower to return to Alcon, but I could always order her to leave the planet."

          "No," Lance said sharply. "Don't do that. I'll be fine."

          "You sure? You seem awfully distracted, and now that I know the truth, it's not hard to see why. If your attention isn't on being part of the team at go time, that could be dangerous," Keith replied, his voice serious.

          "Hey, when I'm in uniform, you'll have my undivided attention," Lance swore, suddenly worried Keith might send Lissa away.

          Keith studied him for a moment and then sighed. "Look, I know you didn't ask for advice, but I'm still going to offer you some. Lissa sounds like an honorable woman. I know you loved her, but she made her choice to join the Legion years ago, and I think you should respect it."

          Lance stared at him in surprise. "What are you saying?"

          Keith tilted his head and frowned. "I'm saying that you're still in love with her, and it seems to me that if you got the chance, you'd talk her into dropping out of the White Riders."

          Lance's hands clenched into fists as defensive anger stirred within him. "You're damn right I would! I love her, Keith, and I'd give anything to keep her with me."

          "That's pretty selfish of you," his captain quietly responded. "It seems to me that if you loved her, you'd do what's best for her."

          "How do you know what's best for her?" Lance demanded, desperation entering his voice as he realized the other man was probably right. If he loved Lissa, he'd want her to be happy…

          Keith held up his hands and said, "I don't. But she does, and she chose the Legion, Lance, whether you like it or not."

          Lance stared at him in torment and then closed his eyes as agony rolled through him. Keith was right, of course. Lissa had chosen to join the Legion of her own will, no matter her feelings for him. He should respect her decision. Sighing, he opened his eyes and said, "You're right. She made her choice. She has what she wanted. I need to forget about her, to get on with my life," he said, before slowly walking out of the courtyard without a backwards glance.

          Keith watched him go in silence and then his thoughts turned to Allura and he gave a bittersweet smile as he said, "If you can figure out how to do that, I hope you tell me."

            Lissa was feeling bewildered, lost among the myriad of emotions she'd been experiencing all day. There was joy over her reconciliation with Lance, sorrow over the loss of his love, bitterness of her choosing the Legion so many years ago, and regret because she knew the decision could never be reversed. One didn't just resign from the White Riders. On a brighter note, Fire Storm had been amazingly quiet during her recounting of her love affair with Lance, though she sensed the Familiar was not pleased. He had deigned to enter the Castle of Lions, going directly to her room, and attempted to warn her not to throw away her allegiance to the Legion for something so fleeting as love, but Lissa had halted his speech by informing him that she had no intention of deserting the Legion. To do so would bring death to her and dishonor to her family.

          So now her friend lay curled in her lap, watching her with grave eyes. There was a companionable silence between them, and though she normally found solace in his presence, she was feeling restless. She decided to roam the halls, and Fire Storm let her go, sensing her need for privacy, and thinking now would be the perfect time to seek an audience with Lance.

            Lissa hadn't been walking long when she ran into the Princess Allura. The other woman's color was unusually high, and she thought she heard the princess muttering something about Prince Ower and peacocks when she crossed paths with her.

          "Princess Allura, whatever is the matter?"

          "That idiot Ower tried to feel me up," Allura hissed, so annoyed with the cad's behavior that she failed to consider who she was speaking to. "I slapped him, and he seemed surprised I'd mind. The man thinks he's god's gift to women!"

          "Yes, he does," Lissa agreed, humor in her voice.

          Allura looked at her in thoughtful silence, noting the strained expression on the other woman's face and, before she had time to reconsider her words, she said, "I don't know if you know this or not, but Lance still loves you."

          Fire Storm found Lance with ease, for the pilot had migrated to the rec room and was sitting there brooding when the snake slithered in. Lance immediately stiffened and gave him an unfriendly glare, which Fire Storm wholeheartedly returned. The Familiar knew Lissa would not approve of him interfering with her relationship with Lance, but the Familiar's duty bound him to protect her from all harm, and this man was definitely dangerous to her.

           "I will not waste time with pleasantries," he growled, his voice ringing in the small room. "I have come to warn you to keep your distance from Lissa."

          Lance waved a hand at him and said, "Save it, snake. I have no interest in pursuing your mistress."

          Fire Storm cocked his head to the side, ignoring the man's rude tone, and studied him intently. It was apparent Lance believed what he was saying. How very interesting, and odd. "Then I shall refrain from lecturing you and say only this: Even if Lissa were to bear love for you in her heart, an oath to the White Riders is binding for all eternity. The penalty for desertion is death. Remember that," he added, before turning and making his way back to Lissa's room.

          Lance watched the snake leave, frowning. What did he mean 'even if Lissa were to bear love for you'? Had she said something to that reptile? He was her Familiar, and undoubtedly confided in the creature. Maybe she did love him! Lance leaped to his feet and made his way to the door, but just then Pidge and Hunk walked in, and the two annoying cronies exchanged a grin when he tried to push past them.

          "What's your hurry?" Hunk grumbled as Lance elbowed him to one side.

          "Oh, lover boy is probably running off to see his little honey," Pidge laughed, causing Lance to halt and glare at him.

          "Watch it, half pint," he snapped.

          Pidge just gave him a cheeky smile and then held out his hands in front of him, making an imaginary chest, and said, "I'd be that jumpy to, with a hottie like her paying attention to me."

          Lance growled and stepped towards Pidge, but Hunk put out an arm to stop him, so Lance settled for a threatening, "I mean it, Pidge!"

          "Look, man, he knows you love the girl," Hunk barked, ignoring Lance's look of embarrassment. "He's just giving you a hard time about it."

          "And I'm sure Lance has been hard since she got here," the little nuisance laughed, causing Hunk to gape and Lance to blush.

          Lance stared at them in dismay; appalled his feelings were so apparent to everyone. Not knowing what to say, he turned on his heel and marched from the room. He was heading for Lissa's rooms when the castle alarm went off. Of all the damn rotten luck!

          Lissa stared at Allura, stunned.  She didn't know what to say. The only way the princess would know about Lance's feelings for her was if he had told her! Then again, it was possible that if Lance had told Allura about their past, the other woman might have mistakenly assumed he still loved her. She stepped forward to ask Allura how she knew that Lance loved her, but then a loud alarm went off, startling her and causing the princess to frown.

          "What the hell is that?" she asked.

          "The alarm. A Roe Beast has been sighted."


	10. Snake of a Different Shape

**A/N: I do not own Voltron, its characters or settings. Anything new is mine.**

**Hi people, I'm back! Bet you thought I was dead or something, huh? Nope, just vacationing. That's the last one for a few weeks, though, so I promise I'll be better about updating. I've decided to put my other stories on hold until this one is finished, because otherwise it's just too difficult to update them regularly. I'm sorry the last chapter was so brief. I think my mind was already on vacation and I just threw something together. Hopefully this is better.**

**Thank you to Yamatoforever, RedLion and Sylvie for the reviews!**

            "A Roe Beast?" Lissa asked, surprise in her voice.

          "Yes, a monstrous soldier of Planet Doom, usually created by that mad witch Hagar," Allura replied. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. The team will need me to form Voltron."

          "Of course," Lissa answered, and the princess turned and ran from the hall, leaving the other woman alone with her thoughts and fears.

          This was what Lance did, then. He battled Roe Beasts. And he'd been doing it for years. She knew this because she'd spent a good deal of the previous night looking up all the information she could on her beloved pilot. He was a very good fighter, from what she'd read, and the team had faced many perilous dangers in the past. But that still didn't soothe her anxious heart at the moment. She didn't like sitting around waiting, knowing the man that she loved was engaged in battle and could die at any moment.

          She made her way through the castle to the control room, hoping to get a better view of what was going on outside.

          The minute the alarms started ringing, Lance headed for the control room. He wasn't surprised by the attack. He'd been expecting it for the last day or two. It wasn't in Zarkon's nature to plan patiently and bide his time. He preferred the direct, brutal approach. And he never seemed to learn that it didn't work against Voltron. Lance's mind briefly flitted back to Lissa, who was somewhere in the castle, and a surge of fear touched his heart for the first time in years. 

          She could be hurt. It wasn't likely, of course. Roe Beasts rarely even made it near the castle. But the thought of her being hurt or even killed by one of Zarkon's filthy beasts made his blood turn to ice. He had never felt this way before, never known such unreasoning fear and worry. It wasn't that the people of Arus weren't important to him. Lance had always been concerned that innocent lives might be lost during the numerous battles between Voltron and the Roe Beasts. But those people were strangers, not friends. And certainly not the one person that Lance could never handle losing to death.

          Oh, he loved the rest of the Voltron Force and would lay down his life for theirs in a second, but for the most part they were putting their own lives on the line for the sake of duty. Lissa was an innocent bystander. If she were harmed… Well, Zarkon would die. No more of this waiting around for Lotor and his goons to attack. If something happened to Lissa, Lance would say to hell with strategic war and charge against Planet Doom with laser cannons blazing.     

          He raced through the courtyard to where Red Lion sat waiting, not far from the sleek shape of Black Lion. He could just make out Keith climbing into the cockpit of the lead lion as he ascended to Red Lion's head. He quickly started the Red Lion's engines and within seconds the robot was airborne, close on the heels of the Black Lion. Lance was relieved to see that the Roe Beast had landed in a relatively secluded area. There wasn't one house in sight, which meant they didn't have to worry about looking out for innocent victims. All they had to do was concentrate on killing the Roe Beast.

          Hagar's latest creation looked like something out of a farmer's nightmare. It was vaguely humanoid, with a massive bull's head and wicked, barbed horns. Its hands ended in cruel claws, but its feet were those of a bull. The monster's tail was wide and covered with lethal looking spikes, and danced behind it with surprising agility, more like a scorpion's tail then a cow's.

          Lance could see the Green, Yellow and Blue Lions approaching from behind him, and he called out to Keith, "Hagar's getting pretty desperate for ideas on new Roe Beasts. This one looks like he came from the dinner table!" 

          Keith gave a short laugh and said, "Come on, team, get into field formation!"

          The four Lions positioned themselves around the Black Lion in perpendicular fashion, forming a square with the Black Lion as its heart. The Roe Beast was apparently as dim witted as the bull it had been made from, because it immediately charged them, not even bothering to set up a strategy of any kind, just lowering its head and running.

          "That idiot isn't even watching where he's going," Allura cried.

          Keith was about to make a comment when Pidge suddenly yelled, "My god! Will you look at that?"

          Lance glanced in the direction the Green Lion was facing, and felt his blood run cold. There, on the horizon, was his Lissa. Flying straight into the face of danger instead of staying where she'd be safe. How very typical. She wouldn't rest until she'd given him an ulcer, it seemed. Then again, why should she stop there? Might as well aim big and try to give him heart failure.

          And then he noticed what everyone else was staring at, and his eyes widened in disbelief.

          Lissa had tried to calm the rising tide of anxiety that swelled within her the moment the alarms started sounding in the castle. She'd told herself Lance did this kind of thing every day. But it was funny how logic had no power in the face of love at times like this. Telling herself he killed a Roe Beast a week still didn't change the fact that this might be the one day his luck and skill failed him, and he died.  She wasn't about to stand by and let that happen.

          She closed her eyes and concentrated, drawing on her inner connection with her Familiar to locate him. Fire Storm was in the courtyard, tension vibrating in his body as the alarms rang in his ears. No one had told him what was going on, and he had decided to go outside to keep watch. No harm would befall the castle if he got a visual of the threat first.

          He immediately sensed Lissa searching for him through their link.

          _"I am in the main courtyard,"_ he said. _"Just inside the gates."_

          _"Wait there,"_ she ordered him, breaking into a full run.

          _"I will,"_ he replied. And then, after a moment's hesitancy, _"I suppose this means we're going to join the fray?"_

          Though his words were laced with disapproval, she sensed the excitement flowing through his veins, and smiled to herself. He had an inherent love of action, and the past few weeks of inactivity had been maddening for him. _"Yes."_

          _"You do realize that such action is unnecessary, and most likely in violation of-"_

          _"Yes, I know,"_ she cut him off abruptly as she slid around a corner and ran down the main entrance hall. _"We'll talk about this later."_

          _"Alright,"_ he replied. _"Although we could always say we felt it was our duty to protect the castle since Prince Ower is in it."_

          _"My thoughts exactly,"_ she answered grimly as she ran into the courtyard, pausing to examine the size of the place.

          "I've already calculated the measurements of the area," Fire Storm said, breaking their mind connection and speaking out loud. "I'll have to go outside to change."

          "Then do it," she said, her voice tense with fear and worry. "I don't want to waste any more time." 

          Her Familiar gave her a chiding look and said, "Your Lance does this all the time. I think he'll be okay for the next few minutes until we arrive."

          Lissa gave him a piercing look and said, "If he isn't, it's coming out of your hide since you seem so intent on dragging your tail."

          Fire Storm snorted at her, knowing her threat was an empty one, but feeling her fear through their link. "Don't worry so, Lissa. He will be fine."

          Then he turned and slithered from the courtyard, past the moat, to the grassy area outside the great walls. He paused for a moment, lowered his head, and steadied his breathing. And then he began the change. Even after seeing the transformation countless times over the years, it never lost its beauty.

          It started out simple enough. His body stretched, lengthening to a distance one might think was impossible, until he reached several hundred feet from snout to tail. Then his mass followed suit, muscles rippling and pushing out against the surface of his skin, threatening to break through the thin looking barrier. His chest broadened to accommodate a larger lung capacity, his stomach shortened and became curved, and a lower section of his body began to widen as hindquarters formed. The skin around his chest and hindquarters quivered and stretched until the skin tore, and four legs burst free, each one ending in razor sharp claws and armored with numerous curving spikes. His back shivered and then a tearing sound could be heard as two enormous bat like wings sprouted from his back. Twin horns erupted behind the ones already present on his head, and a dozen spikes jutted out from his cheeks, perfectly matching the ones that had risen up from beneath his skin, starting at the back of his head, following the length of his spine, and ending at the tip of his barbed tail. His skin then began to solidify, the soft scales of his snake form banishing beneath steel hard plates that covered every inch of his gargantuan body.

          He gave a sigh of sheer bliss and then stretched, luxuriating in the tension that was released by such a simple action. "Ah, it feels good to be in my own skin again."

          "But even as a snake, you are always in your own skin," Lissa replied as she moved to his side and climbed into the taloned foot he extended to her.

          Fire Storm glared at her and said, "Don't be a smart ass, girl, or I'll be tempted to leave your lover boy to the whims of the fates. It would be a most convenient solution to a vexing problem."

          "Don't even joke about such a thing," Lissa commanded as he raised her to the rise of his neck. 

          Fire Storm said nothing, but she knew very well he wasn't sorry for what he'd just said.

          She settled into place behind the crown of horns on his head and said, "Now, find me that Roe Beast!"  

          Fire Storm took to the air in one smooth movement, the strength in his muscles launching him into the sky with ease. His great wings spread out to catch the wind and below them, the land was cast into shadow as his great form blocked out the light. His keen hearing located the Roe Beast almost immediately, because it was bellowing loud enough to wake the dead. He flew to it with unerring accuracy, and Lissa spotted the Lions facing the Roe Beast at the exact moment they became aware of her. She saw the Red Lion maneuver around to try and block her path, but she ignored him and called out to Fire Storm, "To the death we ride, Until we fall!"

          "We fight with pride, Against all!" he answered.

             "Our swords strike true, Our cause is just!" she sang, her voice rising as battle fever seeped into her nerves.

          "Darkness pays its due, Until we are dust!" he roared, his eyes lighting with a berserker madness.            

            The Roe Beast watched them approach in terror, staring wide-eyed at the great white dragon that rivaled it in sheer size. In the distance, Lissa heard the roar of a Lion, probably Lance thinking to interfere with her, but she would not allow it, and urged Fire Storm on to the battle. The Cry of the White Riders had been sung, there was no thought of retreat in her mind. Only to save the innocent did a White Rider abandon a battle, for they fully believed in the phrase "to the death".  


	11. A Minor Rumble

**A/N: I do not own Voltron, its settings or characters. Anyone new is mine.**

**Sorry this chapter took so long. I have no excuse but to say: hey, it's summer, and a girl is always busy this time of year. So many parties, so little time…**

**Thank you to Yamotoforever and RedLion (2) for the reviews! You two never seem to give up on me, even though I'm horrible about updating. Thanks so much!**

            The standard method of battle versus land-based opponents was to rely upon the powers of the White Rider rather then the Familiar, at least in Lissa's case. Since Fire Storm was a dragon, he was more suited to aerial combat, because his breath was capable of incinerating everything in its path and causing most things in close proximity to combust as well. For him to use it on an earth bound enemy was irresponsible and dangerous, as the flames could easily burn out of control. Likewise, his sheer mass made it hazardous for him to grapple with the Roe Beast, since their combined weight would crush everything around them. The only choice was for Lissa to attack the bull like beast herself. Unfortunately, Lance was most likely following in their wake in an attempt to interfere with her plans, and she wouldn't be able to restrain him while fighting the Roe Beast.

          _"Fire Storm, I need you to neutralize the Red Lion,"_ Lissa said, her thoughts strained with worry. _"I don't want Lance getting in the way."_

          _"He won't understand this, you know,"_ the dragon replied. _"He strikes me as being a very proud man, and somehow I think he will object to having you interfere with his duties."_

          _"I know,"_ Lissa answered, a worried look marring her face for an instant. _"But it's the only way. I can't sit by and let him get hurt, when I could take this monster down myself."_

          _"True, but have you ever stopped to consider he might be thinking the exact same thing himself?"_ Fire Storm rejoined. 

          Lissa frowned, distressed by her Familiar's observation. She hadn't thought about it from Lance's point of view. All she'd been able to think of was protecting her beloved. In any case, now was not the time to dwell on such matters. The Roe Beast had to be dealt with immediately; she'd handle any disagreements with Lance later.

          _"That may be, but the challenge has been made, and we were the ones to issue it,"_ Lissa returned. _"I don't have the time to argue about this now. Please just do as I ask."_

          She could sense Fire Storm's annoyance, for he was not one to tolerate totalitarian behavior, but the dragon glanced behind him without comment. Sure enough, the crimson form of the Red Lion was hurtling in their direction, obviously intent on intercepting the Roe Beast before they could. With a mental sigh, silently calculating how much emotional grief this was going to cause his mistress, the dragon lashed out with his great tail, wrapping the Lion in its powerful coils and rendering it immobile. In the distance, the other four Lions began to move, obviously alarmed by the dragon's actions.

          Lissa also saw their approach and said, _"I forget they work as a team. Can you handle the other four?"_

          _"I can delay them as long as is necessary," _he answered.

          Lissa nodded and then closed her eyes, opening her mind to the energies surrounding them. Fire Storm was a well of raw mystic power, perfectly complimenting her own psychic abilities, and this she was used to. The Roe Beast was made of dark magic, twisted and foul, an aberration that rankled the nerves. The Lions were something else. They gave off physical emanations of kinetic and nuclear energies, but there was also something more to them. Something that transcended the boundaries of mortal science, something mystical as the power in Fire Storm himself. She was surprised by such a discovery, but had no time to dwell on it. She forced herself to focus on the center of her own power, within the depths of her mind, where it swirled in calm waves of dormant energy. As she reached out to it, she felt the tranquility within fall away, replaced by a rising fury as her powers answered her call, churning up into a violent storm of seething energy.

          She opened her eyes as the power welled up within her, filling her until it seemed to dance upon her skin itself. With deliberate ease, she floated up off of the curve of Fire Storm's neck, freeing him to deal with the approaching Lions. The Roe Beast, which had been staring at Fire Storm in respectful dismay, immediately turned to face the much smaller, less intimidating shape of Lissa as she gracefully hovered in the air. Being too dim witted to appreciate such a display of power, the Roe Beast let out a low roar that sounded like a choking cow, and charged at Lissa.

          After the initial shock of seeing Fire Storm's true form, Lance had sent the Red Lion forward in an attempt to draw the Roe Beast's attention to him, since he knew perfectly well that Lissa intended to fight the monster herself. While some more rational part of him knew that she faced similar dangers all the time, the emotional side of him refused to allow his woman to be hurt. And she was his. She always had been, and he knew she always would be, despite his fear that she might not love him. Despite Fire Storm's brute size and obvious power, Lance had been terrified for Lissa's safety, and he had reacted on instinct, ignoring the warning Keith sent him to stay back. He knew that later he'd most likely get called out over his disobeying a direct order, but love had rules of its own, and nothing else mattered but the dictations of the heart. The Red Lion had been running directly into the Roe Beast's path when a gargantuan whip had encircled the robot and immobilized it. It had taken only a second for Lance to see that the whip was in fact Fire Storm's tail, and he knew without a doubt that Lissa had commanded the dragon to stop him.

Lance was torn between fury at her actions and admiration for her bravery, but when the dainty figure of his true love had suddenly become surrounded by a tempest and began to fly up into the sky, he had been too filled with surprise to feel anything else. He had always known Lissa possessed phenomenal powers, for she had been fiercely protected as a girl and trained by the most esteemed warriors in the universe, but he had never actually seen the extent of her power. Oh, she'd performed a trick or two, levitating small items and once briefly turning a rock into a rabbit, but nothing so impressive as flight. Then he noticed that the Roe Beast had spotted her as well, and fear for her safety came rushing to the fore. Lance watched the Roe Beast move, its eyes full of malice as it bore down on the fragile form of his beloved, and something within him shrieked in fear and agony. He frantically hit the control panel, causing the Red Lion to roar in outrage, but the vise around the Lion refused to move. 

He wildly glanced around, searching for a means to break free, and he saw the other four Lions bearing down on him, obviously intent on freeing him from Fire Storm's grasp. The dragon had seen them also, and he was waiting for them. Lissa had asked him to stall these brave humans, and he would do as she asked, but he had no desire to battle them. He only wished to give his mistress the space she required to fight. Thus he allowed the Lions to come very close, within shouting distance, and then he launched himself higher up into the sky, one fluid movement of his wings sending him hundreds of yards away from them. The four Lions milled about in confusion, tossed around by the hurricane force of the winds he created in his wake, and once they regained their bearings they gave chase. Once again he allowed them to draw near, only to glide out of range when they reached him. In this way, he led them away from the fight. Only Lance was aware of what the dragon was doing.

He hit the vid link and screamed, "Keith, forget about me. I'm fine. This overgrown lizard's not going to hurt me! You have to go back and save Lissa!"

"Forget it, Lance," Keith answered, his voice grim. "You're part of this team, and we're not leaving you behind."

"But I'm not in any danger," Lance insisted, his voice furious and filled with desperation. "Lissa is! I know we're a team, but it's Voltron Force's duty to protect the weak, and right now there's a girl out there facing a Roe Beast one on one! I think she needs your help more then I do."

"Hey pal," Hunk barked, "In case you haven't noticed, the overgrown lizard has you in a death grip."

"Hunk, if this thing wanted me dead, you can bet your ass I'd be flattened by now," Lance shot back. "He's only trying to keep you out of the fight."

"It's for the best, you know," Fire Storm suddenly replied, his thunderous voice shaking the sky. "Lissa doesn't want you getting injured."

The other members of the Voltron Force remained silent, clearly surprised that the dragon could hear them, but Lance, in his fury, shouted, "What kind of Familiar are you? I thought you were supposed to protect your rider, yet you've left her out there, alone and defenseless!"                    

          Fire Storm ignored his reprimand and blandly said, "She might be alone, but she is hardly defenseless. She has asked me to keep you from interfering, and I will follow my lady's commands to the letter. For you see, that is what a good Familiar does, no matter his own feelings."

          "Are you saying that you deliberately drew us away from the Roe Beast?" Keith cut in, his own voice now ringing with fury. "Don't you realize it's our duty to protect the people of this planet from harm? By leading us away, you have exposed countless innocents to danger!"

          The dragon's head whipped around to glare at the Black Lion, and his voice was cold as an arctic wind as he growled, "Do not presume to lecture me, boy. You have no understanding of Lissa's power, but I have seen it first hand. None will come to harm with her present, she'd die before letting a single drop of innocent blood spill. Such is the Oath she has taken, and she has always upheld it."

          "Guys, look!" Pidge yelled, his Green Lion facing back in the direction of Lissa and the Roe Beast.

          The Roe Beast had been charging at Lissa full speed, its head lowered and its eyes full of murder, when it suddenly seemed to bounce off of the air itself, reeling back with a comical expression on its face. Blood trickled from the bovine nose, testament to the force with which it had been hit, yet nothing could be seen. The Roe Beast stared at Lissa, clearly stupefied, before uttering a guttural snarl and charging once more. It came within striking range at an alarming speed, but Lissa appeared unconcerned and then Lissa raised one hand and, right as it raised a massive hand to swat at her, an unseen force slammed into the Roe Beast, sending it crashing to the earth almost faster then the eye could follow, creating a small tremor from the impact of its landing.

          The Roe Beast lay panting on its back, staring at her with a mixture of bewilderment and dread, for there could be no mistaking that she was the source of the incredible power that had struck it. But being naturally dim and bred only to fight, the Roe Beast staggered to its feet and then lunged at her with a growl. Lissa was frowning as the monster moved, her eyes on the destroyed ground where the Roe Beast had landed, and it seemed as if she was more worried about the harm it had done then the threat it presented to her. Lance watched with his heart in his throat as the Roe Beast lashed out at her, but before it could make contact with her, Lissa disappeared.  

          Allura gasped and Lance leaned forward in his seat, but Fire Storm seemed unconcerned and an instant later Lissa rematerialized, directly above the Roe Beast's head. It looked up with a snarl and leaped skyward in an attempt to grab her, and then the expression on Lissa's face changed, going from impassive to coldly furious in the blink of an eye. She made a sharp gesture with her hands and the Roe Beast came to a halt in mid leap, every muscle in its body going still. She made strange, slashing movements with her hands before abruptly flinging them apart, and the Roe Beast let out a horrible scream of pain as its flesh split beneath that same unseen force, the gashes widening until they encompassed its body, tearing it in two. It disintegrated as it fell to the ground, imploding before it even landed.

            "My god," Hunk whispered, and even Lance gave a whistle of awe, though he was stunned by what he had seen. He'd never realized Lissa had such power.

          Fire Storm cast a smug look at Keith in the Black Lion but said nothing, releasing the Red Lion from the prison of his coiled tail and flying to Lissa's side. Lance checked the Red Lion for damage but, as he'd suspected, there wasn't any. He turned to fly to Lissa's side, but paused when Keith said, "Don't go too far, Lance. We need to have a little talk. Tonight."

          Lance remained silent, knowing he was going to get a severe lecture for disobeying his captain. But, at the moment, he was more concerned with giving a lecture of his own, and his face was grim as the Red Lion bore down on the girl and her dragon.

          Lissa watched him approach with trepidation. She knew he was going to be angry with her. She only hoped she could make him understand she'd done this to protect him. Fire Storm glanced at her with a distinctly smug expression, and she scowled at the dragon in annoyance.

          "You needn't look so pleased," she hissed as she gently drifted down to stand on the end of his reptilian snout.

          _"I wouldn't say I'm pleased, so much as intrigued,"_ the dragon replied. _"I am most curious to see how your young pilot will react to your interference. He seemed rather put out when I took him captive."_

          "Well I'm glad I could provide you with some amusement," she snapped, refusing to speak to him through their mind link, her body starting to tremble with exhaustion.

          Fire Storm frowned in concern, for he knew very well how draining it was for Lissa to use her telekinetic abilities, and his manner was decidedly more gentle as he asked, _"Are you feeling well?"_

          "I think that little confrontation wore me out," she confessed, her voice distinctly softer then it had been a moment before.

          "Perhaps you should speak with the boy later," the dragon suggested, now voicing his concerns out loud since he knew speaking through their mind link would tax her waning strength, and somewhat alarmed by her apparent exhaustion.

          "No, that would hardly be fair to Lance. I'm sure he's quite…furious…with me," she whispered, before falling into a faint across Fire Storm's broad muzzle.  


	12. Sleeping Beauty

A/N: I do not own Voltron, its characters or settings. Anything new is mine.

Thank you to YamotoForever for the review! You won't get to find out what Lance has to say to Lissa or even what Keith has to say to either of them just yet. Next chapter you will. 

It's going to be a long one, I want to get things moving, but I have to get a few heart to hearts out of the way first, so I'm just going to combine them in the next chapter.

          Lance was bearing down on Lissa with a furious intensity when he saw the dainty figure of his love collapse across the enormous snout of her Familiar. Horror immediately slammed into his frazzled emotions with terrible force, rendering him motionless as it seized him in a grip more merciless then the one Fire Storm had imprisoned him in. His brain seemed to shut down, refusing to think or react as he stared at the still form of Lissa. His throat constricted with pain and he found it difficult to breathe. The Red Lion slowed from a reckless speed down to a complete stop as his hands slipped from the controls, falling uselessly to his sides. As he stared at the graceful lines of Lissa's inert body, a horrible sob racked his body, tearing from his throat in a guttural cry of denial as his dazed mind reeled from the shock of his beloved's death.

          Fire Storm heard that profound sound of anguish even from a distance, so great was its strength, and he slowly turned his massive head in the direction of the Red Lion, taking care not to jar Lissa in the process. "Do not despair, young pilot. It is not so bad as it seems. My mistress has not fallen into the embrace of death, but rather that of sleep. The battle has but drained her."

          Joy rushed to the fore of the mass of emotions swirling crazily through Lance, closely followed by fury. "I thought you said she wouldn't be harmed," he snarled, not even bothering to curb the savage quality of his voice.

          Fire Storm ignored his harsh tone, touched by the obvious love this man felt for his mistress, willing to overlook the pilot's transgression under the circumstances. "She is not hurt, only exhausted. Normally she is a bit tired after such exertion, but I have never seen her in a state such as this," the dragon admitted, his voice thoughtful as he gazed down at the still form of his Rider. "She has not been sleeping well of late. Perhaps that has something to do with her lack of strength, but I cannot say for certain."

          The dragon's puzzled words made uneasiness sweep through Lance with sharp intensity, and he maneuvered the Red Lion to hover near Fire Storm's gigantic head. "I'm going to open the entry hatch on Red Lion, and I want you to set her in it," Lance said, the deadly calm of his voice belying the anxiety that was thrumming through him, the sense of fear made more profound by his earlier worry that he'd lost her forever to the eternal embrace of death.

          Fire Storm turned one baleful golden eye upon the Red Lion, not at all accustomed to being ordered around by anyone other then his mistress, and not willing to continue to overlook the young man's rude behavior. "I am quite capable of carrying her myself," he growled, his voice menacing, the sheer volume of it causing the air to quiver around them. "I have done so many times in the past, and she has never come to harm. I would die before allowing that."

          Lance hesitated, staring at the dragon in grim silence for several moments, understanding Fire Storm's fierce loyalty to Lissa, and respectful of it. He knew it was the dragon's duty to see to Lissa's safety. Yet he had an overwhelming need to have her by his side so that he could protect her, and so he swallowed his considerable pride and said, "Please, I mean no disrespect, but I must have her with me."

          Fire Storm heard the plaintive note in the man's voice and knew what it must cost so proud a creature to plead for anything. That Lance was willing to humble himself touched Fire Storm more then he cared to admit. He could also see in the pilot's eyes things unsaid, a need to protect and care for his mate, and in that moment, Fire Storm's resistance to the relationship between Lissa and Lance dissolved, banished by the purity of the emotions he saw in the young man's eyes. This was no selfish, fleeting love Lance bore for Lissa, but a lasting devotion that time could not weaken, an undying bond that had no boundaries. He said nothing in response, but simply nodded, letting his actions be his answer, and then lowered the sleeping form of Lissa onto the Red Lion's head when the hatch opened.

          Lance put the Red Lion on autopilot and climbed up to where Lissa rested. He leaned over her and lifted her with gentle, trembling hands, taking care to move slowly so as not to jostle her, his love etched in stark relief across his strained features as he disappeared into the Lion. Almost immediately the Red Lion circled around and headed back for the Castle of Lions, Fire Storm following in its wake. The other four Lions had remained at a distance, not quite trusting the mighty dragon after his earlier imprisonment of the Red Lion, but they quickly fell into place behind the great lizard as the Red Lion's course became clear to them.

          In the distance, Fire Storm could hear the whir of machines, and instinctively he knew they belonged to the enemy that had unleashed the Roe Beast, for he'd never heard this sound before during his stay on Arus. His keen eyes made out dozens of tiny shapes in the distance, a fleet of some kind, and he snarled in malice as he observed them, knowing they were part of the force that had brought his mistress to such a state of weariness. He glanced at the Red Lion, his instinct to protect his mistress overriding all others, but vengeance nipped at him without mercy and after a moment he growled, "Boy, I am leaving you to look after my rider. The threat here is not yet neutralized and, more to the point, I will have blood spilled for the condition my mistress is in. I am trusting you to care for her, but do not fail me, for you will feel a wrath such as you have never dreamed."

          Lance stared at Fire Storm in shock; surprised the Familiar was willing to trust him to such an extent, tactfully ignoring the dragon's sharp words. "I understand."

          Fire Storm whirled away from them with surprising agility for a creature so immense, and then he shot across the sky with a blinding speed that made the velocity with which he'd managed to elude the Lions look sluggish. It was obvious to all the members of Voltron Force that he had been quite capable of escaping them if he'd wanted to, but no one remarked on it.

          "Where do you suppose he's rushing off to?" Hunk asked, clearly curious and thrown off balance by the events that had just occurred.

          "To see to the rest of the Doom forces, I assume," Pidge mused aloud.

          "We should help him out," Keith said, turning the Black Lion to follow Fire Storm's dwindling shape.

          "I wouldn't suggest doing that," Lance quietly called out. "I think you'll only get in his way."

          Keith stiffened at the insinuation he might be more of a hindrance then a help, but Allura recognized the wisdom in Lance's words, and she gently said, "I think he's right, Keith. The dragon is so huge, he might have to worry about accidentally hurting one of us if we were to try and help him."

          Keith could never resist Allura in any way, her suggestions never seemed to sting his pride, though he refused to study that thought too closely. "All right, but I don't like just sitting around doing nothing while there's a threat to Arus. Lance and Allura, you continue on to the castle and get Lissa to the med room. The rest of you, come with me. We'll guard the perimeters and finish off any ships that get away from the dragon."

            Because Lance was more concerned about Lissa's health then the destruction of the fleet from Doom, he didn't offer any more protests. Every member of the Voltron Force knew how devoted Keith was to his duty. Lance resumed Red Lion's flight pattern without a backward glance, his worried gaze repeatedly raking over Lissa's gaunt features.

          Allura lingered for a moment, upset at being left out of combat once again. It seemed as if Keith was always trying to keep her at a distance from the rest of the team. She didn't understand it. She trained as hard as everyone else, if not harder at times. She was a good pilot and a quick thinker, able to react on her feet. His constant coddling of her made her resent him at times. It was as if he had no faith in her abilities, and she didn't know why. She'd never done anything to prove herself unworthy of fighting alongside the team, yet Keith consistently excluded her from battle whenever possible.

          "Why?" she asked, her voice soft, but curt.

          Keith had no way of knowing the true extent of that brief question, and his attention was on the receding form of Fire Storm, his thoughts crowded by the numerous complexities of the day thus far. So he gave it far less attention then it actually warranted, taking it at face value and responding as such. "Lance is in no state of mind to see to the safety of the Castle, and Lissa is going to need him with her at any rate. Or at least Lance will think so. We have no idea where the Doom Fleet is, and that foul Prince Lotor has repeatedly attempted to kidnap you in the past. Since the Castle is open to danger, I thought-"

          "That you could solve two problems at once?" Allura inserted, irritated, her own feelings thrown into tumult by the emotional trauma that had been emanating from Lance and Lissa for the past few days. "Get me out of the way and keep the Castle safe. Excellent decision, commander. As always," she snapped, before wheeling the Blue Lion around and heading to the castle.

          Keith's jaw dropped as he stared after her, his bewilderment etched all over his face. Hunk and Pidge remained silent for exactly one minute before Hunk grumbled, "Women. I just don't get them. Sometimes they're almost more trouble then they're worth."

          "I imagine they feel the same way abut us," Pidge replied in his usual cheery voice, though he didn't bother to elaborate on that piece of insight.

          Keith finally managed to close his mouth, but his mind was still reeling from Allura's sharp words, and he barked, "Enough chit chat. Let's go."  

          The three Lions formed a triangle and then set out after the dwindling shape of the dragon.

          Fire Storm sensed the approaching Lions, but he ignored them to focus his wrathful attention of the armada before him. Unhindered by the presence of any allies, he relied upon his most devastating natural weapon. He opened his great jaws and took a deep breath, his lungs expanding, the fire in his belly exploding from a flickering flame into a blazing inferno, roaring up through his throat and out into the air with concussive force. The stream of fire raced through the air faster then the eye could follow, enveloping dozens of ships, the raw intensity of the flames instantly incinerating the metal vessels.

          He paused to watch with grim amusement as the ships maneuvered to face him, laughing with the arrogance that his kind was famous for as the puny lasers fired from their cannons harmlessly bounced off of his armored hide. He spewed another wave of fire into their midst, and two dozen more ships melted into nothingness, leaving behind no traces of debris, completely devoured by the searing heat. He saw a small group of ships separate from the fleet to flee, but he let them go. They would serve as a messenger, a witness to his fury and power, a warning against attacking Arus again while he dwelled on it. 

          He turned his gaze back to the armada and released another torrent of fire. He sensed the Lions drawing up behind him, but the robots seemed content to maintain a watchful vigil from the rear, and so he continued his destructive rampage, leveling the entire fleet in a matter of minutes. When he turned to face the Lions, he left behind no trace of an enemy presence, every last ship destroyed.

          "Wow," Pidge squeaked, his eyes wide as he stared at the empty sky behind the dragon, mentally calculating the heat required to completely disintegrate full war ships, clearly awed by the power of the leviathan's breath.

          "I'm sure glad you're on our side," Hunk called out from the Yellow Lion, his voice tinged with wonder. 

          Keith's response was the most brief, but also the most respectful. He glanced at the enormous dragon, understanding that this mighty creature was no simple Roe Beast, and perhaps had the power to vanquish even Voltron. His tone was therefore appropriately respectful as he murmured, "Impressive."

          Fire Storm ignored their comments to glare at them harshly. "I said I would handle this matter myself. Why did you leave my mistress in the care of one love stricken boy and one soft hearted warrior maiden?"

          "We had to make sure you had things under control here," Keith answered, mildly resenting the reproach in Fire Storm's voice. "We've been seeing to the safety of Arus far longer then you, and by all rights this was our fight."

          "Not once my lady committed to the battle," Fire Storm growled. "She had best be safe." 

"Lissa will be perfectly secure in the Castle," Hunk assured the hulking lizard, not liking the dark look that had crept into the reptile's brilliant eyes.

          "Perhaps," Fire Storm rumbled. "But I did hear one of you mention something about kidnapping earlier."

          Lance was relieved to see Lissa's color returning to normal as the Red Lion descended in front of the castle, the Blue Lion on its heels. Lance cradled Lissa in his arms as he climbed out of the Lion, and by the time he reached the ground, Allura was there waiting for them. He noted the look of irritation on the princess' face only because it was such an uncommon occurrence, but he didn't remark on it at the moment, his attention consumed by Lissa.

          "Take Lissa to the med room. I'll go find Coran and Nanny," Allura said in a gentle voice, noting the drawn appearance of Lance's face.

          Lance nodded and made his way to the med room, thinking that when Lissa woke up he was going to kill. Right after kissing her senseless. How could she risk her life like that? Why had she interfered with the Voltron Force's duties? Was she that devoted to protecting the damn annoying Prince Ower? That thought sent a distinctly unpleasant feeling of jealousy burning through his veins. Or was it her loyalty to her precious Legion that had driven her to behave in such an impetuous manner?

          He had just placed Lissa on a bed when Allura entered the room, Coran and Nanny right behind her, a doctor trailing in after them. Lance spent the next several minutes pacing the length of the room as the doctor examined Lissa. The man was quite adept at keeping his features blank, giving no clue as to what her state of health was, and as time passed, Lance began to grow increasingly alarmed. Allura, Coran and Nanny had all left the room at the doctor's bidding, but Lance had chosen to remain, ignoring the doctor's wishes. Now he drew near the other man, noting the doctor's frown at his approach, but too worried to care about niceties at the moment.

          "How is she?" he demanded, his impatience ringing in his voice.

          The doctor glanced at him sharply and said, "She's fine. I can't find a thing wrong with her. She just appears to be in a normal state of sleep."

          Lance nearly collapsed with relief, and then beamed at the other man as euphoria rushed through him. He laughed and then slapped the doctor on the back. "That's the best news I've had in years."

          The doctor wasn't about to touch that comment. The pilot of the Red Lion had always been something of an enigma to the people of Arus, but they respected him for all of his rash, joking ways. He settled for nodding as if in understanding, when he had no true idea what this girl meant to Lance, but he sensed the pilot was hopelessly in love with her.

          Both men were startled out of their wits when a voice softened by weariness said,  "I hate to interrupt you, but could someone please bring me a drink?"


	13. Selective Hearing

A/N: I do not own Voltron, it's characters or settings. Anything new is mine. Thank you to the people who have reviewed this story. My computer is on the fritz and I'm having to use my roomie's instead. 

It was the sound of Lance's voice that drew her from her slumber. Familiar and beloved, it followed her down into the darkness where her psyche rested. Though she had been gifted with incredible power, she was still mortal. Channeling such massive currents of psychic energy drained her, and the more energy she exerted, the more depleted she became. While this wasn't detrimental to her health, being quite necessary in truth, it was also rather inconvenient. Many times she had collapsed on the field of battle due to exhaustion, and it was at such times that she truly appreciated having a dragon for a Familiar. Not every White Rider had a dragon for a companion. Only the most powerful, and conversely the most vulnerable, of the Legion were ever given such a magnificent creature. Dragons were rare throughout the Universe, highly sought after and greatly feared. Exceptionally arrogant, they were very difficult to convince to serve as Familiars. But they were also naturally curious and given to wanderlust, and occasionally consented to serve as Familiars so that they might experience a side of life normally not available to them. Dragons were invaluable, and so the Legion made it a point to forge strong alliances with them whenever possible. Fire Storm had saved her life more then once, and he held a special place in her heart.

It was Lance who owned her heart completely though, and so when she heard his voice, Lissa began to fight her way through the darkness that engulfed her in a peaceful sleep, struggling to be near the source of that voice. This was no simple task, her body still being drained from her recent confrontation with the Roe Beast, but Lissa was willful and refused to succumb to the silent invitation of her regenerative slumber, being more concerned with reuniting with her beloved.

When she opened her eyes, it was to see Lance laughing with relief, speaking to strange man she'd never seen before.  She felt parched, her body drained physically as well as mentally, and she patiently watched them for a moment, but when it became apparent they weren't aware of the fact that she'd awakened, she quietly asked for a drink of water.

Lance and the doctor whirled to face her, one man looking astonished, the other overjoyed, and for a moment Lissa's heart sped up as her eyes met Lance's, his concern for her very evident. Perhaps he cared for her after all. When they simply stood there gaping at her, she gave them a small, tired smile and said, "Who do I have to kill to get some water? Isn't a Roe Beast enough?"

Lance blinked as if waking from a dream and frowned, her words banishing his happiness and reminding him of his anger with her. "We'll talk about that later," he growled as he turned and left the room.

Lissa stared after him in bewilderment, wondering what he was angry about now, and the doctor startled her when he murmured, "How are you feeling?" as he began to check her pulse and breathing.

"I'm fine, just tired. Using my-"

"Here's your water," Lance interrupted her as he reentered the room, a warning look on his face. Obviously he didn't want people knowing about her powers for some reason, and even though this puzzled her, he was no longer frowning at her so she decided to let it pass, gratefully accepting the water and quickly drinking it down.

"How's she doing, doc?"

"She seems to be in perfect health. I just don't understand it. She went from a catatonic state to being bright eyed and bushy tailed in a matter of seconds. It's most remarkable."

"Yeah, well, consider the source," Lance replied, his eyes intense as he stared down at her, torn between anger and relief. "Since she seems to be recovering, would you mind clearing out so I can talk to her?"

The doctor hesitated, clearly considering arguing, but Lance fixed him with a piercing glare and the other man nodded curtly before leaving the room. Lance turned his sharp look down on Lissa and barked, "What the hell do you think you were doing charging after that Roe Beast by yourself?"

Lissa leaned away from him, stunned by his abrupt change in moods, and said, "Saving the lives of innocent people. I was hardly alone. Fire Storm is quite enough protection."

Lance leaned down, eyes narrowed. "It isn't your duty to protect the people of Arus. That happens to be the duty of the Voltron Force, and we've been keeping this planet safe for quite some time without your help."

Lissa had expected him to be angry, but at least thankful for her help. He didn't sound thankful at all, his voice so cold it chilled her to the core. "It's my duty to defend the innocent no matter where I may be. I'm sorry if I stole your thunder, but I can't see how it matters who killed the Roe Beast so long as it's dead."

Lance turned away from her, gritting his teeth in frustration. "You always do that! You always put yourself in danger for other people. Do you ever stop and think about yourself? Or the people who care about you? How they'd feel if you got hurt or killed?"

"No. I think about those who are not strong enough to protect themselves, those who need me to defend them," Lissa cried. 

Lance whirled around to face her, a bitter smile on his face. "Ah yes, the nameless strangers. You've always cared about them more then anyone else, and I can see that's never going to change."   

Lissa was confused by Lance's words. She didn't understand why he sounded so hurt, as if he resented the desire she felt to protect the weak. "I don't understand what you're saying."

"I'm afraid you never will," Lance sighed. He ran a hand through his hair and then said, "Look, you've been staying on Arus as a guest, but when you attacked that Roe Beast, you crossed the line. I know you were just trying to help, but like I said before that's Voltron's job, and the team has enough to deal with without having to worry about keeping an eye on you."

"You make me sound like a weakling."

"No, just a hindrance," he answered.

"A hindrance? Are you forgetting I killed the Roe Beast?"

Lance frowned. "No, not at all. I'm just saying that you're a distraction, and as long as you're running around taking on Roe Beasts, the team will be distracted and unable to function at maximum ability."

Lissa stared at him in silence, and Lance mentally berated himself for being so harsh with her, but for once he was in complete agreement with Keith. As long as Lissa was around, he would worry about her safety and, since she'd more or less admitted she would always be throwing herself into danger, he would be constantly distracted. He would be in no shape to pilot the Red Lion, and without him the team couldn't form Voltron. He needed to be sure she would be safe, that she would stop taking such risks.

"Do you understand?" he asked when her silence continued to stretch out.

Lissa understood only too well, and her heart constricted with the pain of truth. Lance wanted her gone, out of the way. She was nothing but an annoyance and a burden, and he obviously wanted her to leave. Well, she wouldn't beg him to stay, wouldn't let him hurt her again. She squared her shoulders, burying her pain deep within, and turned disdainful eyes up to him. "I understand."

 Lance sighed with relief. "Good," he said with a smile, suddenly more amicable now that she'd agreed to his demands to stay out of trouble. "Why don't you go to your room and rest for a while. You must still be tired. That was one hell of a battle you fought against that Roe Beast."

  Lissa stared after him as he left, completely confused. The man made no sense. He praised her after demanding she leave. She couldn't stand his duplicitous behavior another minute. She was taking Prince Ower and leaving Arus today. Her vow to remain on Arus was void since the man who'd extracted it from her wished for her to leave. 

She reached out to Fire Storm and found the dragon almost immediately, on his way back to the castle. "_Old friend, I have decided it's time to leave Arus. I will gather my belongings and the Prince, and then we shall leave."_

She sensed the dragon was perplexed, though his response was neutral. _"Do you not think you should rest a bit longer?"_

_"No, I feel fine. Besides, I wish to be gone from this place."_

_"May I ask why?" Fire Strom inquired, though he could sense it had something to do with Lance, and he was surprised, for he had seen with his own eyes the love that the man bore for Lissa, and was uncertain what had transpired between them to cause such strange behavior from her._

_"No. I don't want to talk about it. We're leaving," she added with a vehemence that astonished him._

He was going to respond but she severed her contact with him, something she normally only did during heavy combat or to avoid psychic detection, further astounding him. What was going on at the castle? Determined to find out, Fire Storm increased the reach of his wings, rapidly accelerating, his thoughts in a quandary. 

Lissa fleet a brief pang of guilt, knowing that Fire Storm would be concerned by her abrupt abandonment of the conversation, but her thoughts were whirling and she really didn't want to discuss Lance with him at the moment. She quickly made her way to her room and packed her belongings, strapped on her sword, and then wrote a note of farewell to the princess, who she had genuinely admired. She found Prince Ower in his chamber, sleeping, and she shook his shoulder roughly to wake him up.

The arrogant man sleepily opened his eyes and then leered up at her. "Finally decided to give in to temptation my beauty? I knew you couldn't resist me forever."

Lissa ignored his outrageous words, frowning in a way that was decidedly menacing. "Prince, it is time we left Arus."

Prince Ower immediately sat up in bed and crossed his arms over his chest, his lower lip protruding in an unseemly pout. "I don't want to go. I'm still pressing my suit with Princess Allura."

"I assure you that you're advances are not welcome," Lissa replied. When he opened his mouth to protest, she held up a hand to silence him. "Do not argue with me about the matter. It is my duty to keep you safe, and I have decided to take you to the Legion Haven on planet Tanor."

The Prince's expression cleared and he jumped from the bed, hurriedly calling out to his valet, George, who he had refused to leave behind, and dressing himself in his excitement to be gone. Tanor was a planet of paradise, its natural beauty surpassed only by the stunning looks of its natives. There would be scores of gorgeous women for the Prince to chase, rather then just one. Even though the planet did indeed have a Haven, Lissa had initially avoided going there because she hadn't wanted to expend energy following the Prince and extracting him from the complicated situations that always seemed to arise when he pursued women. Now such menial tasks were a welcome blessing to her.

 Once Prince Ower was presentable and George had arranged all of the Prince's luggage, Lissa found Nanny and gave her the note she'd written for Allura. Fire Storm was just landing outside the Castle of Lions when Lissa led Prince Ower outside, George struggling to carry the numerous pieces of the prince's luggage simultaneously.

Fire Storm was relieved to see Lissa appeared unharmed, but her dark expression warned him against questioning her for the moment. He shrank down to his smaller snake form and then glided up onto her shoulders, noting her tenseness but refraining from commenting on it. Prince Ower's ship, which had been on standby since their arrival on Arus, landed beside them and the Prince, Lissa, Fire Storm and the heavily burdened George hastily boarded it. Lissa paused to glance back at the Castle of Lions with a wistful expression and then the loading door closed and the ship ascended into the sky.


	14. Hostage

A/N: I do not own Voltron, its characters, nor settings. Anything new is mine.

I finally got a new computer, and can resume writing!!! Thank you to Yamoto and RedLion for your reviews! You keep me writing when I might otherwise forget or put it off…

          From a safe distance, Prince Lotor watched the foreign ship depart from the Castle of Lions and debated what to do. On board that vessel were two of the most powerful beings he had ever seen, Voltron non withstanding. He had watched the girl destroy Hagar's Roe Beast without even touching it, commanding the very air itself to tear the monster to pieces. And then her companion, a great reptile that Lotor knew must be a dragon, had laid waste to his entire fleet in a matter of moments. For some reason, the beast had spared a handful of his ships, perhaps so they could live to spread word of its presence, but Lotor had no intention of staying away from Arus. The Princess Allura was his obsession, his ultimate prize. No woman had ever resisted him before, not for days, let alone years. Yet Allura had turned him away time and again. His interest in her had gone from a passing fancy to a full infatuation, and he would have her no matter the cost.

          This woman, with her strange powers and her magnificent pet, would be most useful in obtaining his prize. Lotor had little doubt that the woman's dragon could go toe to toe with Voltron, for it was no simple minded creature like the Roe Beasts and, coupled with its mistress and her unusual talents, it was most likely unstoppable. But it was not without weakness, it had an attachment to the woman that was apparent even from a distance, she was its vulnerability. And though the woman herself seemed to possess great power, she too was not invincible. Lotor had seen her collapse after her battle with the Roe Beast. Though her gifts were most impressive, they also appeared to be quite draining for her. He could use that to his advantage.

          "Captain, set an intercept course for that ship," Lotor commanded, abruptly coming to a decision.

          The officer piloting the ship turned to stare at him, a look of horror on his face. He, too, had seen the dragon destroy the rest of the fleet, and he thought his Prince must surely have gone mad if he planned on attacking the ship that beast was on. "Sir, are you sure that's wise?"

          Lotor turned dark eyes down on the other man, his expression threatening. "I'm sorry, I must be hearing things. Certainly you aren't questioning my orders, are you, Captain?"

          The pilot swallowed nervously, thinking of the great pit on Planet Doom. He knew very well how cruel Lotor was capable of being. The Prince, though far more handsome then Zarkon, was every bit his father's son. He was capable of acts of brutality rivaled only by psychopaths, and many whispered the Prince was one. But the Captain also knew that attacking the strange ship was suicide, whereas defying Lotor might only mean torture. The question was, would he rather live in pain or die quickly?

          A simple enough thing to decide. The Captain bowed his head. "I would never presume to question you, Prince."

          He turned around and set the coordinates for an intercept course, certain he was flying straight to his death. But at least being incinerated would be fast and relatively painless.

          Lotor turned his attention back to the ship. "When we get within hailing range, I want you to launch the second Roe Beast that Hagar supplied us with."

          "Sir, won't the girl simply destroy it?" another soldier asked in confusion.

          Lotor whirled to face him, a furious scowl on his face. "Enough! I will not be questioned on my own ship. The next man who speaks against my decisions will die."

          The men cringed at his snarling tone and turned their eyes from him, while the soldier that had questioned him hurriedly returned to his duties. Satisfied that they had been subdued, Lotor again focused on the ship that was rapidly drawing nearer. He could make out the strange insignias on the ship that declared it to be of foreign construct. It was very sleek and lightly armed, built more for speed then offense, and the only reason Lotor's ship was overtaking it was because the pilot of the foreign ship did not seem to fear being attacked. It was a foolish miscalculation that Lotor intended to capitalize on.

          "Launch the Roe Beast!" he ordered. "I'm going out as well."

          The Captain blinked at him but held his tongue. A small coffin shot out of the command ship's helm and hurtled down to the earth. In moments, the Roe Beast emerged and Hagar's dark magic had increased its size. This monster was more feline, and walked on four legs rather then two, but it was still dangerous despite its more elegant lines. Lotor made his way down to his personal ship and made to intercept the foreign ship. 

The giant cat leaped at the foreign ship, and as Lotor had expected, the foreign ship's hold opened to reveal the girl from earlier. She appeared to be holding a small white rope, but her dragon was nowhere in sight. Lotor watched as she tossed the belt out of the ship and then pointed at the Roe Beast.

          A gust of force slammed into the leaping cat, throwing it down to the ground, but it almost immediately regained its balance and hurtled back at the ship. During this time, Lotor's ship had drawn within shouting distance of the foreign ship. Just as the Roe Beast was about to reach the foreign ship, an enormous white shape slammed into it, knocking the monster back to the ground. This time the Roe Beast struck the earth with incredible force, its body sinking into the dirt from the strength of the impact. 

          Lotor turned wide eyes to the massive form of the white dragon, wondering how something so large had seemed to appear out of nowhere. He watched as the Roe Beast sprung at the dragon, and the leviathan met the monster with a delighted roar, its head snaking in low to deliver a vicious bite to the Roe Beast's back. The giant cat screamed in fury and raked its claws down the dragon's neck, but they failed to pierce the drake's heavily armored hide. The dragon brought its own talons up to gut the Roe Beast, and Lotor knew he had little time left to carry out his plan, since there were no other Roe Beasts on his command ship.

          He turned his attention back to the foreign ship. The woman was watching her dragon battle the Roe Beast, but she seemed tired, for she had dropped to her knees and seemed to be leaning on the side of the ship's boarding walk for support. Heartened by her weariness, Lotor charged the foreign ship with his own smaller vessel and managed to catch the woman by surprise. She looked up just as his laser pistol rested against her forehead. Behind him, Lotor could hear the Roe Beast give a scream of agony as it was presumably destroyed, but he never took his eyes away from the woman's face.

          She was actually quite stunning upon close inspection, and if Lotor wasn't already obsessed with Allura, he knew he would have taken this woman as his own. As it was, women were too much of a handful to juggle more then one, and the Princess already had the honor of being his current interest.

          "I suggest you call your beast off, or things won't go very well for you," Lotor said to her in an even voice, his tone deceptively bland.

           Lissa blinked up at him for a moment, debating if she had enough energy to knock him back with a psychic blast. Lotor read some of her thoughts in her enormous gray eyes and snapped, "If you try anything rash, I will have my command ship open fire on this ship and your friends will most certainly be killed."

          Lissa narrowed her eyes at him. "You would die as well."

          Lotor shook his head and grinned. "I will be safely away from here before that happens. My vessel is far swifter then your ship."

          Lissa could sense that he was telling the truth, and knew she had no choice but to agree to his demands. She would not be responsible for the death of the innocent people on the Prince's ship. If she had rested more, she would have had enough energy to form a shield around the ship and protect it from harm, but at the moment she was too drained to perform such a feat. She sighed and said, "Fire Storm, stay back. This man is not to be harmed."

          Lotor sensed the dragon looming behind him but refused to take his eyes off the woman. "Are you certain he'll obey you?"

          Lissa gave a nonchalant shrug. "Most likely, but I can't guarantee that. He's not a dog, after all, but a dragon. They can be rather willful."

          Fire Storm chose that moment to support her observation, bellowing, "If you do not unhand my lady, I will destroy your ships."

          "Go ahead," Lotor called out. "They mean nothing to me."

          Fire Storm growled in helpless fury, sensing the truth in his words. His instinct was to lash out and try to catch the man off guard, but he didn't want to risk hurting Lissa. He had no choice but to remain back as the man had demanded. "I will stay back," he reluctantly snarled.

          Lotor nodded once and said, "Now, lady, I will have your word that you will accompany me as my prisoner, in exchange for the lives of your companions."

          Lissa stiffened, wondering why this man would wish to take her prisoner. She did not know who he was, but she sensed he was not a good man. Still, she had no choice at the moment, so she said, "I give you my word to accompany you as your prisoner in exchange for the lives on board this ship."

          "Excellent," Lotor replied with a smile, holstering his laser gun. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her onto his ship.

          "Where are you taking me?" she demanded as he made his way back to the command ship.

          "Why, to Planet Doom, of course."


	15. News

**A/N: I do not own Voltron, its characters or settings. Anything new is mine. **

**Thank you Yamato for reviewing.  You know our Lance pretty well…**

Lance was a bit troubled when Lissa didn't come down for dinner that night. It wasn't like her to miss out on food, even for the sake of some rest, and so he went up to her room to check on her. Even though Fire Storm had told him she wasn't injured, he couldn't help worrying about her. He knocked on her door and when she didn't answer, he called out, "Lissa, it's Lance. Are you feeling okay?"

          He was met with silence. He frowned, but didn't knock again, just in case she might be sleeping. He wandered to the Rec Room, his appetite diminished as he agonized over what he was going to do about his troublesome beloved. Pidge was the only one in the Rec Room, and Lance considered leaving the moment he saw the half pint, but Pidge spotted him before he could escape.

          "Hello there, lover boy. I'm surprised you could tear yourself away from Lissa's side," the young man said, his voice higher then normal and distinctly annoying  thanks to the teasing note in it.

          Lance glared at him and muttered, "She's sleeping."

          "Ahhh," Pidge laughed. "You might want to get some rest yourself. You're going to need all the energy you can get once Keith tracks you down."

          Lance scowled at the bright tone, and was about to tell him to stuff it when Pidge said, "So when are you going to get around to telling her you love her?"

          Lance blinked at him stupidly, stunned that his feelings were so obvious someone as inexperienced as Pidge had been aware of them. "Um, what are you, I have no idea what you, I mean, how did you…"

          Pidge roared with laughter as Lance's garbled words finally ground to a confused halt.

          "Man, you've got it worse then I thought! She must be the ONE. Are you going to marry her, settle down and have dozens of arrogant, high handed sons?"

          Lance winced, unable to hide his vulnerability where Lissa was concerned. His face darkened with pain as he imagined a life spent with Lissa as his wife, raising their children together somewhere, and living in eternal bliss. If only…

          "No," he finally snapped, his voice almost a growl. "She's a White Rider. She can never marry. She can never even have a boyfriend, much less a husband."

          Pidge's grin immediately vanished, his expression turning to one of disbelief. "Man. That just…stinks!"

          "Welcome to my life, pal," Lance said, sinking onto one of the couches and leaning his head back to gaze forlornly at the ceiling.

          Pidge frowned and said, "Can she leave the Legion?"

          "Sure," Lance replied, his voice heavy. "She just has to die."

          Pidge recoiled from him and then shook his head. "That is one of the most terrible, pointless things I have ever heard of!"

          "Terrible yes, pointless, no," Lance sighed. "A life of service ensures loyalty, as does a life of solitude in that service. If you have nothing else, you will be even more dedicated to your duty."

          "I suppose," Pidge grumbled, "but I don't know if that kind of life would be worth living."

          The pilot of the Green Lion left before Lance could respond. He agreed with the youngster. But there was really nothing he could do about it. Lissa had made her choices years ago, and she was now bound by them.

          The door to the Rec Room suddenly flew open, and Lance looked up to see the frowning face of one very annoyed Princess Allura. "Hey Princess, how-"  

          "Can it, you thoughtless idiot," she barked in a voice so hostile he wondered if this was really the Princess or some new Roe Beast created by Hagar that simply looked like Allura.

          Before he could respond, she waved a piece of paper in the air, inches away from his nose and said, "Just look what you've done! I can't believe you told her to leave! I was actually starting to develop a friendship with that girl, and I _know _you're head over heels in love with her, so I just don't understand _why _you insist on acting like such a fool where she's concerned and-"

          Lance held his hands up, whether to calm Allura down or protect his face from her flailing hands he couldn't say, but his expression was one of true confusion as he said, "Hold on a minute there Princess. What are you talking about?"

          Princess Allura rolled her eyes and shrieked. "Uh!!! Men!! Sometimes you can be so clueless…Well, most times, really. What am I talking about? What do you think? Do you love more then one person, genius?"

          "I get that you're referring to Lissa, but _what _are you talking about exactly? I never told her to leave."

          "Well, she sure seems to have been under the impression that you did," Allura said, once again waving the piece of paper at him as if she wanted to bludgeon him with it. "Which means, even if you don't think you told her to leave, you probably did because, I hate to have to point this out to you, but you suck at communication! Not that it's totally your fault. All men seem to suck at communication, and-"

          "Will you just calm down?" Lance snapped, realizing there was something else bothering the Princess besides the letter she had, but more interested in what she had said about Lissa thinking he wanted her to leave.

          Princess Allura blinked at him for a moment, as if waking from a deep trance. She glanced around the room, and blushed a brilliant shade of crimson. "Forgive me, I have no idea what came over me. I'm not completely angry with you and I should never have screamed at you like that. I have no idea why-"

          "I'm sure it has something to do with Keith," Lance said, not bothering to tip toe around the turbulent relationship between the Captain and the Princess, his attention on that letter she was holding. Allura's mouth fell open but he waved at her impatiently. "Don't bother denying it. Not to me. Just tell me what that letter says."

          Allura sighed and said, "It just says that she was glad to have met me, and that she thought Arus was a beautiful world and she would feel awful if anything were to happen to my people because of her. She also apologized for interfering with Voltron's duties, and being a distraction and a hindrance."

          Lance stared at Princess Allura, a feeling of dread seeping into him, sensing that wasn't everything the letter said. He vaguely recalled saying something to Lissa about her being a hindrance, but only because he was driven to distraction every time she was near him. "Go on," he said, his voice grim, certain he already knew what the Princess would say next.

          "She's gone, Lance," Allura whispered.

          It was the answer he anticipated, but Lance's eyes still closed in anguish as shock reeled through him. "Damn her," he hissed, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "She's running again. She _always _runs from me!"

          "Lance, it seems to me she left because she thought that was what you wanted," Allura softly replied.

          Lance's eyes opened, and the Princess was astonished to see fury burning in their depths. "I have had enough of this," he growled, and for a moment she thought he had gone mad.

          His next words relieved and alarmed her immensely.

          "I have had enough of our miscommunications and her habit of running away. I am going to go after her and tell her I love her and she's a fool to think I want her to be anywhere in the universe other then by my side," he said, storming out of the Rec Room.

          Allura stared after him for a moment, stunned and pleased, before she blinked and yelled, "Lance, wait! I haven't told you where she's going yet."

          Lance paused to glance back at her expectantly. She hesitated for a moment, debating whether or not to tell him when he was wearing such a fierce expression, but she was certain he wouldn't harm Lissa. 

          Lance misunderstood her silence and said, "I will simply take the letter from you and read it myself if you don't tell me where she's gone," he said in a deceptively soft voice, turning to face her.

          Allura had never seen him so threatening before, but she knew it was love that made him act in such a bizarre manner. Keith had the same influence on her, it seemed, to transform her from a sweet tempered woman into a raging virago… "She took the Prince to the planet Tanor."

          Lance gave a curt nod and said, "Thank you."

          She watched him stride down the hall and suddenly knew he meant to take the Red Lion out after her, because the Lion would be faster then any other ship on Arus.

          "Lance, you can't take the Red Lion. What if Planet Doom attacks?" she called after his retreating form.

          Lance ignored her and Allura whispered, "Dear lord, what have I done? I should have gone to Keith with this first and had him come with me to break the news to Lance.  Instead I just had to go tell him myself, and now Lance is going to run off with the damned Red Lion. Keith is going to kill me!" 


	16. Lights Out Lissa

**A/N: I do not own Voltron, its characters, settings…Just my people. By the way, please review! How do I know anyone's reading this!?!**

          Lotor placed Lissa in a holding cell on his ship, and then immediately contacted Haggar. The old witch's face appeared on the viewing screen, looking very annoyed by having been bothered.

          "What do you want, brat? I haven't got time to conjure up any love potions for your precious Allura right now. That arrogant windbag you call father has asked me to-"

          Lotor waved one hand to silence her and said, "Enough, witch. I'm not interested in any love potions. What I need is something that suppresses natural abilities."

          Haggar cackled and said, "Have you finally come to your senses and given up on the Princess and desire to be a eunuch?"

          Lotor gritted his teeth, glad that he'd contacted her from his private quarters so none of his crew could hear the witch's rude comments. "No. I have a prisoner with very unusual talents, and I would like you to create a potion to hinder them. I think she will be most useful to my plans for Allura, and my father's dream of conquering Arus as well."

          Haggar frowned, thinking she might be out of a job if Zarkon actually managed to take Arus, but she said, "What kind of talents does this person possess?"

          Lotor shrugged. "I'm not altogether certain. Powers of the mind. She can move and even alter things with her mental energy. I saw her tear a Roe Beast to pieces without touching it."

          Haggar's eyes widened and she clapped her hands in glee, startling Lotor. "You have a psychic? A real one?"

          Lotor tilted his head. "I have no idea what a psychic is, but if it's someone who uses mental powers, then yes."

          Haggar began to dance around in a circle, cackling, and Lotor knew for certain she was mad. "Excellent. I have always wanted to study such a person. You are bringing the prisoner to Doom, aren't you?"

          "Yes, but not for a pleasure trip, witch. She's my prisoner."

          "I get that, Prince Dolt. But if I do make this potion for you, I want full access to the prisoner. There are so many questions I'd like to ask her and-"

          "Fine. Ask her as many questions as you like, just have that potion done by the time I arrive. If she regains her full strength, she may break free, and I don't trust her dragon not to cause any damage if she were to try and escape," the Prince added in a grim tone.

          Haggar stopped dancing and gaped at him. "Did you say she has a dragon?"

          "You're losing your hearing as well as your beauty," Lotor taunted for answer.

          Haggar ignored him, her eyes narrowing in thought. "No one simply _has _a dragon. This prisoner sounds most…unusual. If she's what I think she is, you're either a genius or a complete idiot for capturing her."

          "What are you ranting about now, witch?" Lotor demanded.

          "Nothing," Haggar replied. "I'll have that potion made up immediately."

          And then she cut communication with him.

          Lotor was tempted to contact her again. She obviously had an idea of what his prisoner was, but he knew she'd never tell him what she knew if he pressed her. Haggar had to willingly offer information, it could not be dragged out of the stubborn old hag. Lotor decided to pay a visit to his captive.

          He stopped on the main deck and ordered the release of her companions, whose ship had been surrounded by his remaining fleet until they were out of Arus' orbit.

          He made his way down to the holding cell she was in and then paused to watch her. She really was pretty, but not his type. He had a definite thing for blondes. She was pacing her prison in agitation, her strange metal gray eyes narrowed in thought, and it suddenly occurred to him that he couldn't allow her to remain conscious once he informed her that her friends were being freed. She would most definitely try to escape.

          He walked up to the holding cell and gestured for a guard to open it. Lissa whirled to face them, eyes glaring death at him.

          "You shouldn't scowl so much, you'll ruin your lovely face," Lotor replied, unable to help flirting with her a little since he was, after all, a notorious womanizer.

          "I suggest you worry about your own face," Lissa replied, her hands balling into fists as if she'd love nothing more then to strike him.

          Lotor laughed and said, "Such rudeness from so pretty a lady. That's hardly any way to act, seeing as how I have brought you news of your traveling companions."

          Lissa shrugged and said, "You have freed them as promised."

          Lotor stopped laughing to stare at her. "How-"

          "Don't bore me with unnecessary questions," she snapped. 

          Lotor stiffened, his eyes hardening as he stopped directly in front of her. Her powers were more extensive then he'd realized. "Very well, I'm sorry to have bored you. I'll try not to do it again," he said before he reached out and pinched a nerve on her lower neck, sending her crashing to the floor in an unconscious heap.

          At that moment, a terrible roar shook the ship, and Lotor cursed, realizing it was her dragon. He turned and ran for the bridge.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

          Lissa had been pacing since the moment Prince Filth, or whatever he'd told her his name was, had placed her in the cell. She had given her word not to escape, and she would keep her word, but he hadn't set any time frame and so she intended to leave as soon as her companions were released. For the time being, she could do little, other then seek to calm Fire Storm, who was ranting and raving almost beyond control, his anger a palpable thing.

          _"Mistress, this is intolerable. Allow me to smash this ship to pieces and free you at once," _he roared in her head.

Lissa winced at the sheer mental power he was projecting. _"Calm yourself and think. If you do that, Prince Ower and the others will surely be killed."_

_          "I care nothing for that fop," _Fire Storm sneered.

_          "Nor do I, but we are bound by duty to keep him safe," _Lissa reasonably pointed out.

She could almost feel Fire Storm's grunt of frustration, but the dragon was too stubborn to give up. _"Fine, then I will go and crush the ships holding Prince Ower captive, and then you can free yourself."_

_          "And what if the Prince gets hurt or killed during your little rescue?" _Lissa demanded, knowing how very difficult and willful Fire Storm could be, desperate to keep him calm.

_          "Fine, damn it, I will docilely follow this ship like some whipped puppy and allow this fool to keep my lady prisoner," _Fire Storm snarled. _"I am a complete failure as a Familiar."_

Lissa instantly changed the tone of her thoughts to soothe him. _"That is not true. You have never failed me. It is I who am an unworthy Rider, to allow myself to be caught like this."_

_          "Lady, there is no finer Rider then you, and I am honored I have been your companion,"_ Fire Storm quietly replied, his anger beginning to cool. _"We will find some way out of this mess, we always do."_

Lissa was about to respond to that when she sensed a surge of excitement from the dragon.

          _"They are freeing Prince Ower's ship. Can I smite this star cruiser down now?"_

_          "Not yet," _Lissa returned. _"Wait until the Prince is safely out of their reach."_

Fire Storm made a distinctly grumpy grunt, but she knew he'd obey her wishes.

          It was then that her cell door opened, and she turned to face her captor. She loathed the man, he had threatened to kill her companions without regard for loss of life, and he had also released the monster that had attacked Arus. He was also very arrogant and over confident about his looks, and she despised vain men.

          As he was talking to her, she barely paid any attention to what he was saying, thinking how she'd love to smash his face in. Thus she was taken by surprise when he pinched her neck, rendering her unconscious.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fire Storm was in a high rage. His lady had been taken prisoner, and with laughable ease. He had abandoned her side to fight the Roe Beast, knowing she was weakened from her earlier battle, and he hadn't stopped to think where the Roe Beast might have come from. He should have known it was a trap, and he was disgusted with himself for his deplorable lack of thinking. As a result, his mistress was now some braying peacock's prisoner.

          He tried reasoning with her, but she would not permit him to do anything except follow after the idiot's destroyer, his mood growing darker with each passing moment. He knew, better then she did, what this capture could result in. Even if they were to escape, the Council was going to be furious that they had been captured in the first place. As a matter of fact, depending on what Lissa did while being held prisoner, she could be in serious…

          His thoughts abruptly cut off as he felt the mental link he shared with Lissa suddenly grow faint. She'd been harmed, or at least knocked out. Rage boiled through Fire Storm and he let out a roar that shook the heavens. Turning his reptilian head to glare at the puny ship, he swiveled in the air and charged at it, his mouth gaping as he prepared to tear the cruiser to bits and free his beloved lady.

          "Not so fast," an arrogant voice called out, halting the dragon in mid charge. "I still hold your lady prisoner. She is unharmed, merely sleeping."

          "Do not seek to lie to me," Fire Storm snarled, baring his gigantic fangs. "She is not sleeping, you rendered her unconscious."

          "True, but whatever the case might be, she is still my prisoner, and now she is not even awake to defend herself," Lotor replied. "So it would be wise of you to control yourself and behave, or I will have no choice but to harm her."

          Fire Storm noticed he didn't say kill her, undoubtedly he had no desire to lose such a valuable prisoner. Besides, if Lotor killed Lissa, Fire Storm would simply kill him. But Fire Storm would not be responsible for having his mistress tortured.

          He slowly backed away from the ship, forcing the snarl from his face, but his eyes were still shining with an unholy light, and his words, when they came, were so even and calm, it made the threat in them all the more potent.

          "Fine, mortal, I will desist for now. But my lifespan is far greater then your own, and my memory is long. You will regret this."

          Lotor said nothing to the dragon's menacing words, but Fire Storm moved in line behind the ship, and they continued on their way to Planet Doom.


	17. Attempted Pursuit

** A/N: I do not own Voltron, its characters or settings. Just Lissa and her world of romantic problems.**

** Thank you to Yamotoforever, Smack54, Starlette Rose and FeralGuardian. Oh, and Yamoto you are absolutely correct: Lance will do the right thing…as soon as he decides what that is. Smack, as usual you give useful reviews. Thank you so much. Anyone who is reading this story, if you enjoy Anime, check out some of Smack's stuff. It's…fun. Just read and see.**

The outline of the Red Lion had not even disappeared from view before Keith came barging into the Rec Room. Allura, with a typical moment of female intuition, had been waiting for him there. She had calmly rehearsed what she was going to say to him by way of explanation, but she took one look at his furious face and all of her carefully constructed plans flew out the window.

"Just where does Lance think he's going?" Keith demanded as he stormed up to the Princess, his eyes narrowed with anger. "I haven't even gotten a chance to speak to him about his reckless behavior yet."

Apparently Keith didn't realize that Lance had taken the Red Lion out for a long trip, but then there was no way the captain would know about it, since she hadn't bothered to tell anyone else about the letter Lissa had left or Lance's reaction to it. Keith's anger at the moment was spawned by having to postpone his lecture to the pilot. She could only imagine how he was going to react to the news that Lance was running after his lady love. With the Red Lion, no less.

Allura began to fidget. The longer she delayed telling Keith the truth, the more difficult it would be to catch up to Lance, and the angrier Keith was going to be. There really was no delicate way to break the news to him so…

"Well, you see, Lissa and Lance got into a fight, so Lissa left Arus and now Lance is going after her," she blurted, speaking so quickly her words ran together.

An unnatural stillness fell over Keith, and his face became curiously blank. "What did you say?"

"Lissa has left Arus and Lance-"

Keith made an impatient gesture with his hand. "I heard you the first time Princess."

Allura, miffed by his rudeness, said, "Well, you asked."

Keith started to pace, trying to decide on the best course of action. "We have no choice but to assemble the team and go after him. He seems determined to get himself killed or put Arus at risk."

Allura frowned, thinking her handsome captain could be so very…male at times. "I don't think he does these things intentionally, Keith. He's in love, he's not thinking rationally. He was so very upset when I told him."

Keith's head snapped around as he pinned her with an intense stare, and her words died in her throat.

"You told him she left?"

Allura started to fidget again. "Well, yes."

"I see," Keith murmured, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "And how did you know she was leaving Arus for good?"

"Because she said as much in the letter she left me," Allura softly replied.

Keith took a deep breath and closed his eyes, as if fighting for patience. "Did it not occur to you that news of her departure might spur Lance into doing something foolish?"

She had the grace to blush. "Actually, no. I was so upset by the letter that I didn't stop to think about how he might react until it was too late."

"And now, we have one missing pilot and one stolen Lion," Keith pointed out in a voice that was entirely too calm.

Allura shifted uneasily. "I know Keith, and I'm sorry. I should have taken the letter to you first and then gone with you when I showed it to Lance."

Keith's eyes slowly opened, and he smiled at her without humor. "That's right. That's exactly what you should have done. Why didn't you? Did you think I couldn't handle it?"

She stiffened beneath his piercing stare. "Are you implying that _I _find _you _incompetent, captain? Because if you are, the irony of it would make me laugh."

He frowned in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Allura didn't know what made her angrier: the way he constantly treated her like an inept child, or the fact that he wasn't even aware he was doing it. She gritted her teeth in irritation. "I'm talking about the way you treat me Captain. You act as if I am incapable of protecting myself, and yet I've managed to earn the place as Pilot of the Blue Lion. I can hold my own in combat, but you always insist on having me guard the castle, or fly at the back of the formations. You act like I'm a little girl, to be protected and humored."

Keith blinked in stunned surprise. "You are the Princess, and it's my duty to protect you from harm."

"Wrong. It's your duty to protect Arus," she contradicted him. "Which is why I don't understand the reason you're always trying to keep me out of combat. I fly the Blue Lion, without me, there can be no Voltron. It is my duty to go to battle, as much as it is yours, if not more so because these are my own people I am fighting to protect."

Keith was at his wits end and his temper was up. He had one pilot deserting on him and another ranting at him like a madwoman. And he couldn't even deny what she was saying because it was all true. He _did _send her on the least dangerous missions, but not only out of duty. He loved her, and if she died he'd die right alongside her. It didn't matter that he couldn't have her, it didn't matter that she would one day marry another and he'd be forced to look on, it didn't matter that for him there would never be anyone else. He loved who he loved. Despite all the pain it brought him. End of story.

Keith realized in a moment of insight that he wasn't so different from Lance after all. If it were Allura running away, wouldn't he give chase? Could he do any less for the woman he loved? He didn't know. He'd like to think he'd never do something as rash as make off with the Black Lion but…he just didn't know.

Allura was staring at him with tears in her beautiful eyes, and suddenly it was all too much. Lance's desertion, Allura's accusations, hiding his enduring love for her. A man could only take so much…

"You want a reason, Princess?" he murmured, moving without warning, pulling her roughly into his arms. "How about this?"

He kissed her before he had time to reconsider.

Allura didn't even think of resisting him.

It was as if lightning flowed between them, arcing from one body to the next, feeding off the intensity of their longing. It started out soft and tentative, just a gentle touch of mouths, but too soon that wasn't enough to satisfy a craving that had been residing within them for too long. The kiss deepened, grew hotter as they tried to devour one another.

Keith released her as abruptly as he'd grabbed her, knowing he couldn't take much more of this. He had no time for this at the moment, it seemed far easier to run down an errant pilot then face his own forbidden desires. As he glanced down at Allura, he was stunned to see the signs of lust on her lovely face, and it dawned on him that she had been kissing him back. She hadn't pushed him away. She wanted him…

This was madness, of course, and he knew it. They could never be, and one of them had to act sensibly. He bolted from her side before she had time to recover, manning the Black Lion and taking to flight before she could even make it into uniform.

Allura watched him take off, feeling dazed and bereft. She brought a hand to her stinging lips. He'd actually done it. After endless hours of dreaming, her dashing Captain had kissed her. And then run. She couldn't let him get away, not now, when she was so close to winning him over. She was into uniform and launching the Blue Lion before the Black Lion had faded from view, her expression one of fierce determination.

Lance knew it wouldn't be long before the rest of the Voltron Force gave pursuit. In fact, he was certain Keith was already on the way. He had set a course for Tanor, though, and he wasn't about to turn back now. He had to see Lissa again, to clear up this agonizing situation between them once and for all. For as long as he'd known her, their love had always come in second to their sense of duty. For once, duty could wait.

He was going to tell her he loved her, and that she was a fool to think he'd ever want her to leave him. Even if she didn't love him now, he wanted to have her close by for as long as possible. He had no illusions that his confession would cause her to leave the Legion, it wasn't even a possibility. But he needed her to know the truth, he couldn't hide his love any more, it was killing him.

He was startled out of his thoughts when a sharp voice snapped, "Just what do you think you're doing, running off with the Red Lion?"

He looked up in disbelief to see the Yellow Lion blocking his path. Of all the people he'd expect to interfere with him, he'd never thought it would be Hunk. The giant man was so gentle and compassionate, but he was also noble and dutiful, Lance reminded himself. This wasn't such a surprise after all.

He tried lying, on the off chance Hunk might not know what he was up to. "I'm just out for a routine flight."

"Don't give me that, Lance," Hunk replied in a soft voice that was nonetheless edged with steel. "I've already spoken to Keith. He says you're leaving Arus without permission."

Lance's hand balled into a fist. "Damn it, Hunk. Don't interfere. I don't want to fight with you."

"Then don't," the other man responded.

"I have no choice," Lance refuted. "I can't let her leave, Hunk. Not like this."

"Huh? Let who leave?" the other pilot asked, his confusion obvious.

Lance felt a faint spark of hope. Keith hadn't told Hunk everything, and the pilot of the Yellow Lion was a notoriously kind man. "It's Lissa. She's run away."

"The lady White Rider?" Hunk questioned. "Why would she do that?"

"Because she thinks I want her to."

Hunk laughed. "Don't be ridiculous. Anyone can see you're mad for her."

Lance gritted his teeth. "Apparently she can't."

Hunk's laughter abruptly ended. "Oh. I never could figure out why women have such a hard time understanding us men."

There was a moment of deep silence, and Lance knew the other man was thinking, torn between his obligations and his ideals. Lance felt no regret for forcing Hunk to make such a choice. He had to get to Lissa.

"If Keith asks, I never saw you," Hunk finally muttered, and the Yellow Lion veered aside and turned in the direction of the Castle of Lions.

"Thanks, Hunk," Lance replied.

Hunk grunted in answer. "Good luck. It sounds like you'll need it."

Lance wasted no more time talking, knowing the past few minutes had probably allowed Keith to gain on him considerably. The Red Lion surged forward once more, but Lance bit off a silent curse as another familiar figure appeared on the control board. It was the Black Lion, bearing down on him like a bat out of hell.


	18. Timely Intervention

**A/N: I do not own Voltron, its characters or settings. Anything new is mine.**

Lance kicked the Red Lion into high gear, every swear word he knew flying out of his mouth in frustration as the Black Lion loomed in his sights like a death knell. He didn't know if he could outrun his captain, but he knew he had to try. If he didn't reach Lissa now, she might be lost to him forever. He couldn't lose her again.

* * *

Keith watched as the Red Lion surged forward, and his eyes narrowed in anger. His thoughts were focused solely on overtaking his cohort, his mind deliberately refusing to think about the kiss he'd given Princess Allura.

Hunk was flying in his direction at a leisurely pace, and Keith's anger grew. The pilot of the Yellow Lion had allowed Lance to pass, when Keith had given everyone explicit orders to stall the Red Lion if they encountered it.

"Just what was that about, Hunk? You disobeyed a direct order," Keith snapped as he drew near the Yellow Lion.

"Sorry, sir. Perhaps if you'd informed me of the whole situation, I would have performed my duties with more conviction," Hunk said in one of his eerie moments of intellectual insight, his voice definitely chiding.

Keith blinked in surprise. And then his brow furrowed and he barked, "Don't get smart with me. That's borderline insubordination, and I already have one pilot who's trying to throw a mutiny."

"Lance is just going after the woman he loves," Hunk calmly countered. "As you have in the past, if memory serves me."

That brought Keith up short. It was true he had run into danger several times to rescue Allura, but that was hardly the same thing! After all, it was his duty to protect the princess…

But not at the risk of the team, he concluded. Which, he had done in the past. He decided to remain quiet.

He slowed the Black Lion for a moment to allow the Yellow Lion to pass by, the silence between the two pilots strained and ringing with words unsaid.

When had his life grown so complicated Keith wondered.

As soon as Hunk was clear, he launched the Black Lion forward again.

* * *

Lance had watched the exchange between his teammates, surprised and grateful when Hunk seemed to slow Keith down. But the reprieve was a brief one, and all too soon the Black Lion was moving after him again.

Lance had always secretly believed the Black Lion was superior to all the others, though Keith had never said as much and Voltron was so ancient no one alive knew if that might be the case. But Lance had always had a hunch it was. After all, a leader was a leader because he surpassed his compatriots, when it came down to it.

As he fled the Black Lion, his Red Lion at maximum speed, his suspicions were confirmed. Little by little the Black Lion was overtaking him, and he knew his chances of reaching Lissa were slim with Keith hot on his heels.

In desperation, he radioed the Black Lion and said, "Captain, I know you're pissed that I've taken the Red Lion, but I need to talk to Lissa, and there's no ship faster then the Lions."

Keith was surprised Lance had contacted him, but not enough to forgive him his recent transgressions. "Negative, pilot. I order you to turn your Lion around and return to Arus."

Lance slammed his palm down on the arm of his seat. "Damn it, Keith, I can't do that! I have to go after her now, or she'll be gone forever. Don't you understand?"

Keith closed his eyes for a brief instant, caught between conscience and duty, his whole world askew at the moment. Allura was kissing him, Hunk was reprimanding him, and Lance had lost his mind. Despite the fact that he could sympathize with Lance's feelings for Lissa, he still couldn't justify allowing the pilot to leave.

"I do understand, but that's not the point. Perhaps if you hadn't been acting so erratically I might allow it, but since Lissa showed up you have been unstable and unpredictable. What if you talk to her and decide to follow her to the ends of the Universe? What then? Would you bring the Red Lion back, or just go after her for the umpteenth time?"

Lance stiffened, his eyes narrowed. "What the hell kind of statement is that? You know I'd bring the Red Lion back."

"I used to know that Lance, but not anymore," Keith corrected him. "You are completely unreliable when it comes to this woman. Your emotions for her are too volatile for me to believe you'd use your head in a logical manner rather then be guided by your instincts."

Lance gritted his teeth. "You can be such a prick, you know that? How dare you sit there and chew me out when you've chased after Allura more times then I can count, without consulting the rest of the team."

That was the second time one of his subordinates had brought up his own shortcomings, and while it was true, it still irritated Keith. "That's enough, Lance. I am the Captain of the Voltron Force, my decisions are law for the team, and if I make a decision without consulting the rest of you, that's my affair and not yours."

"Some team mentality," Lance shot back sarcastically.

"Don't talk to me about team mentality. You just stole the Red Lion and ran off without telling anyone and earlier you broke team formation to rush to the rescue of your beloved Lissa, putting the people of Arus at risk and getting you captured by her dragon," Keith barked.

"You're right about my breaking formation, Keith. For that, I apologize. I just couldn't help myself when I saw Lissa taking on that Roe Beast," Lance whispered, the memory of his mindless panic returning to him full force. "I do tend to react before thinking where she's concerned, but she won't be on Arus any longer, and I'd just like to make peace with her while I can. As for stealing the Red Lion, there you're wrong. Allura knew exactly what I was doing, and where I was going."

"You leave her out of this," Keith warned.

"Why? You say that Lissa makes me act unpredictably and that's true," Lance admitted. "But I've already said I'm aware of the fact. However, Allura makes you feel just as out of control, so I bring her up to point out to you the similarities between how I act and how you act."

Keith paused, the weight of Lance's words ringing in his head. Everything Lance said was true, but damn it, duty had to come first!

He was just about to tell him as much when something rammed into the Black Lion's hindquarters, sending him into a wild spin.

Lance had the Red Lion turn to face the Black Lion, wondering if they were being attacked by Doom again. What he saw stunned him.

The Blue Lion was floating in the sky where the Black Lion had been moments before; its back to the Red Lion as it watched the Black Lion spinning wildly in the air.

"Allura, what are you doing?" Lance demanded.

The Blue Lion glanced back at him. "Buying you some time, lover boy. Now move it, I won't be able to hold him back for long if he's not inclined to be delayed."

Lance hesitated. "Are you sure you want to do this, Allura? He's going to be pissed."

"He already is," she answered him, her voice calm and level. "Besides, there are some things I need to discuss with him, and he seems to have a tendency to run from things like your Lissa does."

Lance grinned. "Are you finally going to stop acting like juvenile lovesick teenagers and deal with your feelings for each other?"

"I'm going to try and get him to do just that," she laughed. "Although you are hardly one to call someone juvenile, Romeo. Now get going. Please tell Lissa I'll miss her, and she's welcome on Arus anytime."

"I will," Lance promised, wheeling the Red Lion around and resuming his course for Tanor.

Irrationally, now that he had a chance at escaping Keith, part of him felt as if he should stay behind and try to reason with his captain, or at least offer Allura his support. The Voltron Force was important to him, they were like a second family, and he did care for them deeply. Even the annoyingly high and mighty Keith. It pained him to be at true odds with any of them, but his life had been so empty without Lissa, as if she had taken a part of him with her when she left so many years ago. He couldn't leave things unresolved between them, at least not on his side.

With a sigh of exasperation, he firmly squelched any thoughts of turning back and began to recite what he was going to say to Lissa in his mind.

* * *

The ram attack caught Keith off guard, so the Black Lion was sent spinning through the air for several turns before he was able to gain his bearings and bring the robot under control. His first thought was that they might be under attack from Doom.

"Lance! Watch out, we're under attack," he yelled, instinctively concerned for his fellow pilot, their earlier argument forgotten for the moment.

To his astonishment, it was Allura who answered him, not Lance. "Sorry Captain. The only one who's in danger here is you."

Keith stiffened upon hearing her voice. He had the Black Lion scan the horizon despite her words and found no sign of foreign ships or life. In fact, the only thing nearby was the Blue Lion. He could see the faint outline of the Red Lion in the distance as Lance's robot hurtled further and further away from him with each passing moment.

"If we're not under attack, then what the hell happened?"

"You're a smart man, Keith. Figure it out," she replied.

Keith stared at the Blue Lion for a moment, noticing how it hovered between him and the retreating form of the Red Lion. His voice was grim when he said, "It was you. You rammed the Black Lion with the Blue Lion."

"Very good, Captain," she affirmed when there was no need for her to do so.

Keith was tired of his cohorts and their various forms of insubordination. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"Yes. I've helped a friend."

He felt like hitting something, an unusual urge for a man normally ruled by logic. "Admirable as that might seem, you've done more then that. You've allowed a fellow pilot to turn rogue and steal the equipment necessary for keeping your people and your planet safe."

"Do not think to lecture me about the safety of my people," she curtly snapped her voice imperious, a tone of command to it that she had never used with him before. "There have been times in the past when the Voltron Force had to defend Arus with a fraction of the team."

"Yes, but those were times when the missing team members were imprisoned or in danger," Keith growled.

"There are more dangers to a human then physical ones," her rejoinder was calm compared to his impassioned words.

Keith closed his eyes and leaned his head back against his seat. "I know that…What would you have me do, Allura? Act as if I don't know he's taking the Red Lion to the far reaches of space?"

"Tanor is hardly the far reaches of space," she countered him.

"That's not the point. You know it's wrong of him to endanger others for his own selfish wants," Keith tiredly commented, the last thing he wanted to do was fight with her.

"At this juncture I'd say it's no longer just a want, Keith. It's a need. He can't deny his feelings any more," Allura sighed. "And neither can I."


	19. Confessions Part One

**A/N: I do not own Voltron, its characters or settings. Anything new is mine.**

**Thank you to Craze, Starlette Rose and Yamatoforever for the reviews. **

**Starlette: I always admired Allura growing up, and I figured she had to be pretty ballsy to run a planet, fly a Lion, fend off a Prince, and follow her heart all at the same time. I never thought of her as prissy, and I hate seeing her that way.**

**Yamato: You always seem to know where I'm going with this story! You're right, Allura and Keith are going to be very worried about Lance and Lissa shortly…  
**

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Keith faced Allura across the distance between their Lions, her words ringing with a conviction that alarmed him as much as it intrigued him. "Listen, I know you're upset because you think I don't treat you fairly. And I do have a tendency to arrange for you to have the safest missions, but I don't have time to discuss this with you. Lance is getting away; I need to make him see reason before he does something he'll regret."

Allura wanted to scream with frustration. Keith made her grievances sound so petty and simple, when they were anything but. "Forget about Lance, Captain. He's not the main reason I'm here. For your information, you don't treat me fairly. Your lack of respect for my abilities hurts more then you can ever imagine."

Keith stiffened in surprise at the wounded tone of her voice. "Princess, that's not true. I respect you immensely. You do an admirable job overseeing your planet, you deal with visiting dignitaries with ease, and-"

"Yet you insist on acting as if I'm a child who can't fend for herself," Allura interrupted him, refusing to allow her heart to be softened by his praise.

"Well, there have been times in the past when you've been captured unawares," Keith pointed out to her in a moment of typical male foolishness.

Allura's eyes narrowed dangerously. "That's because I have a stalker and you don't. Lotor has caught you by surprise in the past as well, Keith, and he doesn't pursue you nearly as often as he chases me."

Keith frowned as a surge of jealousy tore through him. The Prince of Doom's obsession with Allura was a sore spot for him that he had never been able to freely discuss with anyone else. Every time Lotor attempted to abduct Allura, it frightened him as much as it infuriated him.

"Fine, I'll concede you are correct. But you have spent most of your life being a Princess and only a fraction of the time being a pilot. I worry about you," he muttered.

Allura almost smiled at his last comment, but she fought the urge off with resentment. "Oh yes, I forgot you were born a pilot."

Keith glared at her. "You are deliberately being difficult."

"Ah, so admitting to my feelings means I am being difficult?" she asked, her voice overly sweet.

Keith sighed. "What do you want from me? An apology? Fine. I never knew you felt I didn't respect you. The truth is, I do. You have a strong spirit and more courage then any woman I've ever known, and it has been an honor to have you fight at my side. Please forgive me for seeming as if I didn't respect you. Nothing could be further from the truth."

His words caused a feeling of warmth to suffuse her, and this time she didn't bother to fight off her smile. "I never knew you felt that way. Apology accepted."

Keith heaved a sigh of relief. "Well, since you're here, how about you help me track down our comrade?"

"Not so fast, Captain," Allura replied. "We're not finished yet."

Keith blinked, wondering what else they had to talk about. The his breath caught as he recalled the kiss he'd given her. Was she going to yell at him about that, too?

* * *

Lance caught up to Prince Ower's ship faster then he had anticipated.

It worried him.

While it was true the Red Lion would be faster then most ships, it still shouldn't have been able to overtake this vessel so quickly. He radioed the ship, a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. "This is Lance, Red Lion pilot from planet Arus, requesting permission to speak with a passenger on board by the name of Lissa."

Prince Ower's captain answered immediately. "Thank god you've come, sir. We've been attacked and our ship has been disabled. We're free floating. Is there any way you could tow us back to Arus?"

Lance straightened in his seat, his nerves taut. "Attacked? By who?"

"Someone claiming to be Prince Lotor of planet Doom," the captain answered.

"Was anyone hurt?" Lance demanded, his voice sharp.

"A few of the men were roughed up, and a hostage was taken, but no one was killed."

Lance almost forgot to breathe. "Let me speak to Lissa _now_."

"I'm sorry, sir, but she's no longer with us. She was the one the prince took hostage."

Lance bit off a curse, his thoughts in wild disarray, rage and fear threatening to overwhelm him. Lotor had captured Lissa. Why? What did he want with her? Had he seen her defeat his Roe Beast?

"How long ago were you attacked?"

The captain hesitated before answering, mentally calculating the time. "Several hours."

"Damn it, why didn't you call anyone for help?"

"Our communications system was deliberately destroyed," the captain replied.

Lotor had captured her several hours ago….He must be on Doom by now. Why had Lissa allowed herself to be taken? Was she still too weak from her battle with the Roe Beast to protect the ship? And why had Fire Storm allowed her to be taken? What good was a Familiar that couldn't protect its mistress?

Lance wheeled the Red Lion around, setting the controls for Planet Doom, silently berating himself. It was his fault Lissa had fled Arus and been captured. He'd never forgive himself if anything happened to her.

"Sir, we could really use your assistance," the captain entreated.

Lance paused to glance at the ship, but there was no question a bout what he was going to do. Lissa meant everything to him, and he wasn't going to leave her in the hands of his mortal enemies. "Sorry, captain. I don't have the time, but a few friends of mine will be along shortly and they'll help you. Tell them I'm sorry, but I've gone to Doom to get Lissa back."

He cut communications before the captain could respond, his heart pounding in fear and frustration as the Red Lion resumed flight.

* * *

Keith waited for Allura to speak.

She didn't keep him in suspense for long. "Why did you kiss me?"

Keith had thought the reason would be obvious, but apparently Allura didn't know he was attracted to her. "Because I wanted to."

The Blue Lion drifted closer to the Black Lion. "You surprise me, Captain. I never got the impression you did things simply because you wanted to. But if that's the case, I ask you again: why?"

"Why did I want to kiss you?" he asked, blushing slightly.

Allura nodded.

"Why does any man kiss a woman?"

His reply was evasive and irritating in the extreme. Allura knew he was not a man to engage in casual relationships, and for him to give so blasé an answer was beyond annoying. "Now you disappoint me. I didn't know you liked to play games."

Keith had never claimed to understand the workings of a woman's mind. He had no idea why she was bringing the kiss up now unless she had a problem with it. She'd been talking about his lack of respect for her before. Did she think he had disrespected her by kissing her? That hadn't been his intention at all, but now was not the time to be discussing such things. With each moment, Lance's lead was increasing.

"I never play games, Allura. Quite frankly, I don't have time to go into this right now."

"I suggest you make time," she softly parried, determined to have it out with him at last.

Keith stiffened in surprise. Allura was showing a side of herself he'd rarely seen, and he had to admire her perseverance even as it annoyed him. "I already told you I kissed you because I wanted to. I'm sorry if it offended you, but you didn't push me away."

Allura's face softened. "It didn't offend me, Keith."

"Then why are you interrogating me about it? I was upset and emotional and I acted on impulse."

"So that's all it was? An impulse?"

Keith ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "Of course not."

Allura hesitated a moment. She knew what she had to say, but she was terrified to do it. She had asked him why he'd kissed her because she'd hoped he'd reveal his feelings to her, but he hadn't. It looked like she'd have to take the first step, and while she was afraid of rejection, not knowing the truth scared her more. Besides, she'd seen how miscommunication had led to heartache between Lance and Lissa, and she wasn't going to let that happen to her.

"I'm not interrogating you, Keith. I'm just trying to understand why you kissed me," she whispered, her stomach twisting in knots. "You see, the reason I kissed you back is because I love you."

Keith stared at her in stunned silence. He felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. She loved him? The princess? He'd only imagined hearing her say such things in his dreams.

Allura found Keith's silence unnerving. She began to fidget, wondering if he was going to let her down easy, and maybe change the subject to save her feelings.

He didn't.

"You what?" he whispered.

It had almost killed her to say it the first time, and while she was still afraid of the intensity of her emotions and his possible reactions to them, she found it much easier to admit the truth the second time around. "I love you."

"You can't," he refuted. "You're the Princess."

"But I am also a woman," she protested. "And I can love like any other woman does."

"Why me?" he asked, genuinely confused, unable to believe what he was hearing, though part of his brain screamed at him to shut up and find a way to get her in his arms before she changed her mind.

She smiled at his bewilderment. "Why you? Because you are intelligent, brave, responsible, and caring. You put the good of everyone else before your own, and you feel you have to save the universe. You are a strong captain who leads by example and you are the most loyal man I have ever met. You have ruined me for anyone else, Keith."

"But I'm not a prince," he pointed out.

Allura laughed. "I don't want a prince, I want a man. And not just any man, you. I think I fell in love with you the first day we met, and I won't settle for anyone else."

Keith blinked and then forced the Black Lion into a descent without warning. Allura stared after him, frowning, her heart pounding with uncertainty. But she had come too far to turn back now, so she sent the Blue Lion after him. He landed the Black Lion and then climbed out of the cock pit to stand on its head. Allura landed the Blue Lion and got out as well, facing him.

His eyes were dark with an emotion she could not read. And then he smiled.

"I love you too, Allura," he quietly admitted. "I have tried so hard not to, but it hasn't done any good. I tell myself all the reasons I can't be with you, but they don't seem to matter. Nothing matters to me more then you. If you want me, I'm yours."

Allura jumped down from the Blue Lion and Keith raced down to meet her. He swept her up in his arms and kissed her with a fierce passion that set their bodies on fire. The world seemed to spin in wild disarray as they reveled in the contact between them, able to indulge in their desire openly and in accord.

But after a moment, Keith reluctantly pulled back.

Allura placed a finger on his lips and he gently kissed it. "I know, we have to go after Lance. But Keith, do you think rather then castigate him, we could help him? I mean, he's only going to Tanor to see Lissa and tell her his feelings. He'll be back. He knows he can't follow her to the ends of the universe, after all. He just has to tell her he loves her. It's been eating away at him for years."

"Just like our love," Keith murmured.

"Yes," Allura agreed. "Please let him see her, Keith. No one should be denied love, even if it's unrequited. And if you go with him, you can see to it that he returns to Arus as duty dictates him to."

It was her final statement that swayed him.

"Alright Miss Matchmaker, we'll accompany Lance to Tanor," he relented, leaning down to give her one last quick kiss.

At thrill shot through the lovers at being able to so openly display their affections, and what started out as a chaste kiss quickly turned into something hotter, and this time it was Allura who broke off the kiss.

"Watch it captain, or you'll turn my head," she teased.

"That would only be fair," he growled. "You've had mine spinning for years."

But he let her go and they returned to their respective Lions, setting off on a course for Tanor.

****


	20. Rise And Shine

**A/N: I do not own Voltron, its characters or settings. Anything new is mine!**

**Thanks to Yamotoforever and Starlette Rose for your reviews.**

**Yamoto****: You almost always know what I'm going to write next…**

**Starlette****: A blue wedding dress, huh? I'll have to read that story.**

Lissa woke with a splitting headache. Her body was sore and she felt vaguely disoriented. After several moments of dizzy confusion, she came to the realization she was on a bed. She sat up slowly, mindful of her aching head, and looked around her.

She was in a strange room. Dark and opulent, it bespoke both wealth and a sense of black decadence. The bed she was in was enormous and could easily accommodate half a dozen people. The sheets were red silk, but the bed hangings and pillows were all black. The furniture in the room was similarly colored: predominantly red with black accessories.

Where in the hell was she?

She tried to slide out of the bed, but when she got to the edge she took one look down and realized she was about six feet off the floor. Normally she would have simply jumped down, but her head hurt and she was feeling queasy and oddly enervated.

She reached out to Fire Storm to ask him what was going on, but she felt…nothing. Lissa's eyes widened in panic and she tried again, searching for that bond that they had shared for years. She found nothing but a black, empty void. The link they had shared for years was gone.

No longer concerned about the distance to the floor, Lissa slid over the edge and dropped to the ground. Her feet gave out and she fell to her knees, her body felt inexplicably weak. What the hell had happened to her?

She closed her eyes and tried to recall what she had been doing before she apparently went to sleep or lost consciousness. In an instant everything came back to her: fleeing Arus, being captured by Prince Lotor, and being rendered unconscious by the same said prince. But what had happened to Fire Storm? Why couldn't she hear him?

"I'd take it easy if I were you," a grating, slightly high pitched voice called out to her.

Lissa looked up, startled; unaware there was anyone in the room with her. She saw a woman, tall and imposing, garbed in a strange cloaked outfit. The woman was hideous, with blue skin and gleaming fangs, but Lissa could picture a strange beauty behind the woman's twisted visage.

"Who are you? Why am I here?" Lissa demanded, unsteadily rising to her feet.

The woman laughed, the sound annoying and chilling, but her expression was not one of hostility. "I am Haggar, and you are here because you managed to defeat that lout Lotor in combat."

Lissa grimaced at the mere mention of the pompous man's name. "Where are my companions?"

Haggar eyed her for a moment and then shrugged. "I have no idea. Lotor brought you to Planet Doom last night, and you had no companions save one: a remarkably large reptile that is even now being held in the pits below Doom."

Lissa stiffened in anger. "If you harm Fire Storm, I will kill you myself."

Haggar held up a gnarled hand. "Peace, girl, I have no quarrel with you. Take up your complaints with Lotor."

Lissa shot her a considering look. "Are you a prisoner here as well?"

The witch laughed. "Not by any means. I come and go as I please."

Lissa' expression hardened. "Then you are a compatriot of Lotor and my enemy. I will not speak with you. Get out."

"Such a temper," Haggar chided her. "I am no compatriot of Lotor. I hold the man in contempt, but we do serve the same master, King Zarkon. I am not here on either man's behalf, but rather out of my own curiosity."

"Why should I believe you?" Lissa scoffed.

Haggar smiled. "Because I know something they do not. I know what you are, White Rider."

Lissa stiffened. "What do you intend to do with such knowledge?"

Haggar shrugged. "Nothing for the time being. I am here because I have heard much of the Legion of Light, but have never met any of its soldiers, and you are one of the elite."

Lissa was thinking she was a pathetic excuse for an elite soldier to have been captured so easily, but she kept that thought to herself. "Well, here I am."

Haggar ignored her mocking tone. "You undoubtedly are wondering why you feel so weak and disoriented. I have given you a potion that has sealed your psychic powers."

Lissa's eyes narrowed in fury. That at least explained why she couldn't sense Fire Storm. "You expect me to tolerate your presence here when you have used some…tonic against me?"

Haggar looked pain. "Please, child, refrain from insulting my work. I do not deal in tonics. The potion I gave you was quite strong and will last indefinitely."

Lissa was assailed by sickening doubt and fear. She had never been without her powers before, she felt incredibly vulnerable. She turned her back on the witch and said, "If you have come here to brag, you can leave. I have no interest in what you have to say."

"Ah, but I have a great deal of interest in what _you_ have to say," Haggar replied.

Lissa glanced back at her. "Why should I deign to speak to you? You are my enemy."

"Perhaps by circumstance," Haggar conceded. "But I have nothing against you personally and in fact it might come to pass that it will be in my best interest if you were…elsewhere. I do not know for the moment, I am waiting to see what Zarkon will do. But in the meantime, I would like to know more of your powers, and your dragon. If you are cooperative, I will not tell Lotor and Zarkon the truth of your identity."

Ah, blackmail. Something Lissa understood because it was a universal thing. She regarded the witch with loathing, but she really had little choice. It seemed the woman already knew enough about her to cause her grief; she would have to assume the woman would hold her silence about anything Lissa told her. Still…

"I ask for your word of honor you will keep all we discuss secret from anything or anyone else," she demanded, her voice intense.

Haggar stared at her in astonishment. It had been…ages since anyone had been willing to accept her word on anything. People always assumed, quite correctly in most cases, that she was untrustworthy. She was surprised and oddly grateful that this girl somehow believed her word might be worth anything. She knew the White Riders were people of great honor; it seemed an honor itself to have her display such trust. With anyone else it would have been misplaced, but Haggar inexplicably felt it would be wrong to betray this girl. She reminded Haggar of herself, long ago.

"You have it," Haggar solemnly replied, and as she did so she waved her hand and created an enchanted binding on her words as well, so that she would be held to silence. "I have sealed my vow by my own hand as an act of faith. It cannot be revoked."

Lissa continued to look at her with suspicion, but she was tired and weak from standing up, so she walked over to a chair and collapsed into it. "What do you want to know?"

* * *

Keith and Allura reached the wreckage of Prince Ower's ship some time after Lance had already departed for Planet Doom. Allura knew the instant she saw the vessel that something terrible had happened, and when she noticed Lance was nowhere in sight, her feeling of dread increased.

"This is Keith of Arus, Pilot of the Black Lion, report your condition," Keith called out as they approached.

"This is Jens, Captain of the Falcris. We were attacked by Prince Lotor of the Planet Doom. He disabled our navigational and communications systems, as well as our main engines. We have only short range radio and life support systems right now."

"Was anyone killed?" Allura asked, her stomach sick.

"No one was killed, but a hostage was taken and Prince Ower has permanently retired to his bed from stress," Jens answered.

"Who was the hostage?" Allura whispered, though she already knew what the answer would be.

"Prince Ower's guardian, Lissa," the captain replied.

Keith stiffened and said, "One of our pilots was on his way to find this ship. He was flying a Red Lion. Have you seen him?"

"Yes, he was here a couple of hours ago," Jens answered. "He told us you would be coming."

"Where did he go? Did he leave to get you some assistance?" Keith asked in an unnaturally calm voice.

"No, sir. He said he was going to Planet Doom. I assume he's trying to rescue the hostage," the captain replied.

Keith swore under his breath.

The Blue Lion turned to face the Black Lion. "We need to stop him, Keith. He could be killed! One Lion can't take on a whole planetary defense system!"

"I know, Princess," he snapped. "But these people need help."

"I'll help them, Keith. You go after Lance. You might be able to catch him in the Black Lion, and you won't have my safety to worry about either."

Keith knew she was right, but he hated leaving her alone. Still, duty dictated he save his fellow pilot, and Allura was in no danger out here. She was a big girl, she could take care of herself. She had proven it countless times in the past.

"Be careful," he finally said.

"Me? You're the one heading into possible conflict with an entire armada. _You _be careful," she returned.

"I will. Get these people to safety, than assemble the rest of the team and head to Planet Doom. I might be able to catch up to Lance, but if I can't, I'll need some back up."

He cut communications and set the coordinates for Doom, swearing to himself. He'd known Lance was reckless, but he'd never suspected just how far the other man would go for his love. Keith supposed he should have known Lance might do something heroic to save Lissa. He'd done it himself in the past for Allura's sake. He couldn't exactly stay mad at Lance, it would be too hypocritical.

Allura sat and watched the Black Lion fly away until it was lost in the darkness of the Universe. She felt sick and scared and worried, for her new friend Lissa, her old friend Lance, and her beloved Keith. She was powerless to help any of them at the moment, but she knew they would be in her thoughts until she was with them again. The fastest way to get that achieved was to see the Falcris to safety and then round up Pidge and Hunk.

"Captain Jens, do you have any chains or other devices that could be used to tie your ship to my Lion?"

"I believe we do have some chains in the cargo miss."

"Excellent. Have them sent to the unloading area of the ship and I will put them in my Lion's mouth," Allura replied.

"Right away," Jens said, cutting the communications as he went to oversee the moving of the chains.

In a matter of minutes, the chains had been secured to various sections inside the ship, the cargo area sealed off so the unloading door could be left open with the chains dangling in space. Once everything was secured and the doors opened, Allura maneuvered the Blue Lion alongside the bottom of the ship, had the Lion capture the chains in its mouth, and began the flight back to Arus.

* * *

Lance watched as the Planet Doom loomed in his sights. Dark, forbidding and armed to the teeth. Despite his desire to charge in and save his lady, he knew such an attack would be foolish and most likely get him killed. He'd be no good to Lissa or the team if he was dead. He needed to sneak in past their defenses and try to approach the castle on foot.

He programmed the Red Lion's coordinates, choosing a deserted stretch of swamp for his landing area. He knew he'd be even more vulnerable to attack outside of the Red Lion, but if he planned on actually reaching Lissa, he had no other choice.


	21. To the Rescue?

**A/N: I do not own Voltron, its characters or settings. Anything new is mine.**

**Starlette****: I'd love to read the story. If you want, you can just email it to me...Otherwise, post it for everyone to read! I love seeing stories where Allura is a fighter rather then a crier.**

**Yamato: Sorry, Lance isn't going to meet up with Lissa again just yet, but they'll see each other soon, I promise!**

* * *

"What is it like, to be a White Rider?" Haggar asked, curious about the elite members of the Legion of Light, as most people, and especially gifted ones such as herself, were.

Lissa sighed and eyed her for a moment. "Do you want the generic answer or an involved one?"

Haggar studied the woman and then shrugged. "Whatever you want to tell me."

Lissa had told this story a thousand times, to curious listeners across the Universe. Everyone wanted to hear about the glories of the Legion and its members, but Lissa was tired of telling only one side of the story.

"Fine, then I'll give you the full tale," Lissa replied. "Being a member of the Legion of Light is lonely. You forsake all that you have, all that you are, and dedicate yourself to an order that is strict and demanding. The Legion offers no reward per se, only the knowledge that what you do saves the lives of others. In exchange, you give up your own life. What you want, what you need, what you have dreamed of attaining since childhood perhaps, no longer matters. Only duty and honor matter.

"As harsh as that might sound, it is not a completely unpleasant thing. There is a certain sense of self worth one attains from saving the Universe. There is also the happiness one feels when you have saved another life. Duty is a far more honorable thing to obey then power or wealth, there is no corrupting the soul that is devoted to devotion itself, after all. Or so the Elders teach us. The truth is, no matter how much one devotes oneself to a calling, there is inevitably a sense of loss, a knowledge that though you are fulfilling a role, you are missing out on everything else.

"And then there is the matter of honor. Among the Legion, honor means all. If you have no honor, you have no worth. What good is a person who gives their word but cannot be trusted or counted upon to stand behind it? In the Legion of Light, we have only each other to depend upon since we have given up all outside ties, and it is imperative we be able to trust each other. Honor comes not so much from great deeds, but rather the will to carry out even the most minor of tasks to the best of one's ability, whether or not it will benefit you personally.

"To be enlisted in the Legion, you must have shown yourself to posses both honor and a sense of duty, as well as unique gifts. All members must pass tests of extreme difficulty, usually a mission that is unsupervised, where the end goal is not easily seen or achieved.

"To become a White Rider, ah, well, that requires even more of you. More then you can bear at times," Lissa whispered.

She suddenly fell silent, closing her eyes as she mused on things from her past, regrets that never seemed to leave her no matter how much time had passed.

Haggar did not press her to go on. Instead, she thought of what the girl had told her thus far. She understood about loneliness, after all, and duty, and even honor. She had remained loyal to Zarkon because of her love for him, even when he turned his back on her. But she had also done it for herself, because if she had walked away from him, she would have been acknowledging that she had sold her very soul to a man who did not care for her. It was a matter of pride that made her stay, but she had also sworn an oath to Zarkon, years ago, and she would not dishonor herself by breaking the vow of servitude she had made to him.

Like this White Rider, she had no one, save her beloved familiar. Zarkon tolerated her, and Lotor put up with her because his father did and because occasionally her magic was useful to him. But she did not belong here on Planet Doom, not as she had once believed. In her days of foolish youth, she had imagined her place was wherever Zarkon was, but now she knew better.

A companionable silence developed between the two women as they sat lost in their own thoughts, outwardly so different and yet more alike then one might believe.

* * *

Lance slowly made his way through the swamp, stopping every minute or so to check the area before inching forward again. Somewhere in the castle, his lady waited. Even now it was possible she was being tortured, or even worse, molested. Lotor was a known womanizer, and Lance knew sexual degradations would break Lissa long before physical torture ever would. Just the thought of Lotor touching her was enough to make his emotions run mad with rage, but Lance held them in check, knowing a hot temper was the last thing he needed right now.

As the trees thinned out, he dropped to his belly and began to crawl over the muddy ground with his elbows and knees, as they had taught him in the Galaxy Garrison. He had no idea how he was going to get into the castle, but first he had to actually reach it. He would think of a plan when the time came, hopefully.

* * *

Keith and the Black Lion tore through space, the pilot muttering to himself, torn between joy, worry and anger. On one hand, he was elated to have Allura's affections at last and be able to openly display his own love for her, on the other hand he was furious with Lance for having charged to the rescue like some knight in shining armor. And he was worried about both of them. Any time the team went to Planet Doom, it was a dangerous situation. He had absolute faith in the power of Voltron, but right now the team was split up and so Voltron could not be formed. While the Lions were powerful weapons, they were not nearly as effective as Voltron. Lance had been foolish and reckless to go to Planet Doom alone, Keith only hoped he could get there before Lance was discovered.

* * *

Allura pushed the Blue Lion to its limits, not wanting to overtax the machine but desperately aware time was short and she had to gather the rest of the team and go after Keith. The Falcris was unable to assist her in any real way, it had been almost completely disabled, and as a result a great deal of precious time passed before Arus finally came into view.

Allura breathed a sigh of relief as she led the broken vessel into the atmosphere. She was forced to slow down to a near crawl so the ship and its passengers wouldn't be harmed by the descent. She contacted Hunk and Pidge the moment she reached the planet's surface.

The Yellow Lion and Green Lion met her not far from the Castle of Lions and helped her to deposit the Falcris on the ground.

"What happened to them?" Hunk asked.

"They were attacked by Lotor and his men," Allura replied. "Listen guys, we have a bad situation here. Lance found this ship first, and it seems Lissa was taken hostage and sent to Planet Doom."

"Oh crap," Pidge breathed. "I bet Lance blew his top."

"I have no idea what his reaction was, because I wasn't with him when he found the Falcris, and he left before Keith and I found the ship," she sighed.

"Where did he go?" Hunk demanded.

"To Planet Doom," Pidge guessed.

"What?" Hunk gasped.

"I'm afraid Pidge is right. Lance told the captain of the Falcris he was going to Doom to try to rescue Lissa."

"Of all the stupid, idiotic, hare brained," Pidge began to rant.

Allura cut him off. "We don't have time for that now, much as I might agree with you. Keith went after Lance to try and catch him before he reached Arus, but the odds aren't in Keith's favor and he wants us to go to Planet Doom right away."

"Sure thing," Hunk replied, wheeling the Yellow Lion around and taking to the sky, Pidge and the Green Lion on his heels.

Allura hesitated and looked down to the Falcris, where Prince Ower and his servants were gingerly climbing from the battered ship. "Your Highness, Coran will see to your needs."

The Blue Lion took off before the pompous prince had a chance to respond.

* * *

Lance had managed to make his way to within a few yards of the castle when he was suddenly grabbed by the ankles. He rolled over, reaching for his laser pistol, but paused when he found the barrel of a gun inches away from his face.

"Well, what do we have here," a guard dressed in the uniform of Planet Doom mused.

"A spy of some sort, I'd say," his companion replied.

"I know that," the first guard snapped. "What's your name, boy?"

Lance glared at him in silence, refusing to be cowed by the gun in his face but not foolish enough to try moving.

"Wait a minute, he's one of those Voltron pilots," the second guard shouted. "Look at his uniform!"

Lance inwardly sighed but forced his face to remain expressionless.

"Oh the King is gonna love this," the first guard excitedly replied. "I see a promotion in our future."

The two guards yanked Lance to his feet and bound his hands behind his back.

"You might as well tell us your name," the first guard stated. "We know you're from Arus."

"Go to hell," Lance hissed.

The guard hit him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him, but Lance didn't fall. "If anyone here has to worry about going to hell, it's you, my friend."

* * *

"I have answered your question. Am I permitted to ask you one?"

Haggar looked up in surprise when Lissa spoke. The two of them had been sitiing in silence for several minutes, each lost in their pasts, and Haggar was astonished to find she felt at ease in this strange woman's presence.

She glanced at the other woman and said, "I suppose so. What could you possibly wish to ask me?"

"What are you doing here, working for a lout like Lotor?"

No one had ever really asked Haggar about herself. They took one look at her and decided, quite rightly, that she was a witch and left it at that. They had never bothered talking to her, though she supposed Lissa would be curious about her captors to some extent.

"I told you, I do not work for Lotor. I work for his father Zarkon."

"Please forgive me if I doubt the father will be any more charming then the son," Lissa muttered.

"He is not," Haggar admitted, "Not anymore. Then again, he might never have been. I

was young and foolish when I first met him, and it took me many years to see that which I preferred not to."

Haggar abruptly fell silent. She had not meant to reveal so much to the girl. She quickly stood and said, "I must be going for now."

Lissa watched the other woman hurry across the room and realized the witch had not meant to tell her such private information. It seemed kindness and curiosity were unknown to the woman. How interesting. Lissa could well imagine a life here with Lotor and his no doubt charming father held little joy or friendship.

"Thank you for answering my question," Lissa called after her. "Even if it was only half of an answer. Perhaps we can continue the discussion later. I'm certain your life has been an interesting one."

Haggar paused to glance back at her, her face expressionless. "Perhaps we can, if you are willing to discuss more of your life as well."

The door closed behind her before Lissa had a chance to agree.


	22. Developing Chaos

**A/N: I do not own Voltron, its characters or settings. Thank you to everyone who reviewed.**

**Starlette Rose: I think everyone has experienced futile love, which is hwy I enjoy writing about it. You hear about happily ever after all the time, when things rarely turn out that way. Real love hurts because it's so intense. I hope you find the story; I'd love to read it. When you send it to me, make sure you tell me who you are, because I don't open emails if I don't recognize the sender.**

**Smack54: Hey there, I guess it has been forever. I swear I'm going to get around to reviewing your stories. I've read some of them, I just haven't had time to write reviews because I suck at saying anything more constructive then "wow, that was good", and you always write such insightful reviews that I feel I should return the favor. But they are good, certainly fun, and I recommend his stories to anyone who is reading this.**

**Yamatoforever: Yes, our main hero was captured. But don't worry, Lissa already thinks the world of Lance and will be flattered he came to her rescue (after she's done being mad at him for being so reckless).  
**

* * *

Haggar practically ran from Lissa's room to her own chambers, her stride hurried and almost panicked. She had told the girl far too much and yet, she felt strangely relieved. No one took the time to listen to her, besides her beloved familiar. Her conflicting emotions regarding Zarkon had bothered her for years; it was only lately that she had begun to seriously consider leaving his service.

Not that she had fallen out of love with him. She hadn't. Some small part of her loved him still, and would for the rest of her life. But the greater part of her knew she couldn't remain on Planet Doom much longer. As the years went by, she found it increasingly difficult to tolerate Lotor, and she thought less of helping Zarkon defeat Arus and more of living somewhere in quiet solitude.

Lissa's words had affected Haggar deeply, though the witch had been careful not to show it. The girl had given up so much of her life to serve in the Legion, and Haggar knew better then most the cost of duty. While she had been listening to Lissa's description of the life of a White Rider, she had suddenly found herself thinking of all the time she had wasted in her own life.

Now, as she paced the confines of her room, she decided that the time for action was drawing near. She had been considering leaving Doom for awhile, but now considering was no longer enough. After Zarkon had finished with Lissa, Haggar intended to leave, but not alone. She would take the girl with her, if only because she respected Lissa for having sacrificed so much for the sake of others.

Having made the decision to leave, Haggar felt as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Suddenly, there was a possibility for a peaceful future in her life, there was a chance she could live free and do as she pleased, and that knowledge brought her a lightness of spirit she hadn't felt in ages.

Of course, the first thing she had to do was discover what Zarkon intended to do with Lissa, and so with that thought in mind she made her way to the King's throne room.

At that very moment, Zarkon himself was pondering what to do about the girl. Lotor had told him she could be a powerful tool to use against Voltron, thanks to her pet dragon. The King himself had seen the great white leviathan; it restlessly circled the skies outside of the palace, its great bulk darkening the land. The King was tempted to kill the woman and be done with it, as he had little patience for dealing with prisoners. But he took one look at the dragon and wisely decided against such an action. There was no telling if he'd be able to subdue the creature, as Lotor seemed to think only the girl was capable of controlling it.

The Prince had mentioned in passing that the girl had mental powers of some kind, and he had ordered Haggar to make a potion to suppress them. Zarkon knew little of Psionics, as such gifts were rare and their secrets jealously guarded. But he knew such talent made the girl too valuable to kill, perhaps she could be ransomed once he had used her dragon to destroy Voltron.

Of course, once she was released, it was entirely possible she would use her dragon to attack Planet Doom to avenge herself. No, she certainly couldn't be released. And she couldn't be killed for fear of retribution from the great lizard. It seemed she would have to remain a guest in his castle, permanently.

Much as the idea dismayed him, Zarkon was wise enough to realize Lissa and her companion could be useful for more then simply ridding him of Voltron. He could use the dragon to conquer other planets. He would have no more need of those infernal Roe Beasts, or the witch that created them. Haggar. He grimaced just thinking about her. He knew that she loved him, knew too that she was perhaps his most loyal retainer. But he had no liking for her. He kept her around because she was useful. Once he no longer had need of her, she would be disposed of.

Almost as if she'd been conjured from his thoughts, the witch strolled into the throne room.

"Good evening," she called out in her high pitched voice, and he was hard pressed not to wince in dismay.

"What do you want, Haggar?"

She ignored his rudeness, used to it after so many years. "I have been to see the prisoner."

Zarkon slanted her an assessing look. "She is awake?"

"Indeed, and recovering from her sleep quite rapidly," Haggar replied.

"Is your potion working?"

Haggar cast him an indignant look. "Of course it is. But we might want to let her see her dragon so that he calms down. I'm not so sure he won't decide to tear down the castle if he's kept unaware of her well being."

Zarkon nervously glanced out a window to where the massive reptile was gliding in the air, its gigantic head turned down to glare at the castle. "Perhaps you're right. I'll have the guards take her out to see him."

"Why don't I take her instead," Haggar offered, wanting to meet the White Rider's familiar, intensely curious about the dragon since she had only read of such creatures in myth and legend.

"Fine," Zarkon agreed. "Just see to it that the matter is taken care of soon. I have no wish to deal with a rampaging dragon."

Haggar silently thought to herself that the dragon could _not _be dealt with if push came to shove, though she wisely refrained from pointing this out to Zarkon. While it was true she had only read tales of the leviathans, she knew more about dragons then all but the most learned scholars. She knew very well what they were capable of.

"As you wish," she replied.

Haggar was just turning to leave when the doors to the throne room crashed open without warning.

* * *

Because of the nature of his identity, and the location in which he had been captured, the guards had decided to immediately take Lance to see King Zarkon.

The arrogant ruler was not aware of his capture, and so he looked up in annoyance when the two guards first entered his throne room.

"What is the meaning of this," Zarkon snarled. "How dare you enter my presence unannounced?"

One of the guards quickly bowed to the temperamental ruler, rightly fearing Zarkon's awesome wrath. "Forgive us, Your Majesty. We have captured a prisoner and thought you might like to see him before we take him to the dungeons."

Zarkon's eyes narrowed on the figure being dragged between the guards. It was a dark haired man in a uniform of some kind. He was filthy, as if he had been crawling through mud, and the amount of grime on his clothes made him impossible to distinguish.

Zarkon knew his servants would not dare to disturb him with something as trivial as a prisoner under normal circumstances. "Well, bring him closer so I can see his face," the King demanded, his voice impatient.

The guards hurried to obey him, hauling the prisoner up the stairs leading to the King's throne. One guard reached down to yank the man's head up, but his eyes were closed and there was evidence of swelling around his right eye.

Zarkon glared at the guards. "You have beaten this prisoner. He's not even conscious. What good is it for you to bring him to me when he cannot even speak?"

"Forgive us Your Highness," one guard rushed to explain. "He was resisting us and we were forced to knock him out so he could be subdued."

"Well, who is he then," Zarkon barked. The two men exchanged uneasy glances, causing him to scowl in irritation. "I obviously cannot question him myself since he is unconscious. Surely you managed to ascertain his identity before bringing him directly to me. You would not have interrupted my _valuable _time with something as mundane as a common prisoner, now would you?"

The softness of his words was more terrifying then the blackest of threats, and one guard stammered, "Truthfully, sire, we do not know his name."

"But he is from Arus, we're certain," the second guard quickly added.

"Actually, I believe he is a pilot for one of those Lions," Haggar suddenly commented, drawing the men's attention to her.

Zarkon's annoyed expression instantly vanished, replaced by a look of intense interest. He glanced back down at the prisoner. "Indeed? Have him cleaned up and brought back in here at once. I wish to see if the witch is correct."

The guards bowed once more and fled from the room, dragging the still comatose prisoner between them.

Zarkon glanced over at Haggar. "Interesting. A Voltron Force pilot here, on Doom. I wonder if he knows the girl Lotor captured."

Haggar shrugged. "It's possible, but she made no mention of him to me."

Zarkon waved his hand dismissively. "Never mind, it is of little import how he came to be here, hardly worth conjecturing over. We will know the truth of the matter soon enough, once he wakes. For now, see to it that the girl soothes her pet."

Haggar gave a curt nod and then wandered out of the throne room, lost in her own musings. The King had a point, had the pilot come to Doom because of Lissa? Was it possible he was one of the many things the girl had been forced to abandon when she had joined the Legion of Light?

* * *

Lissa had been restlessly pacing her room when she heard a knock at her door. She glanced over in surprise as Haggar glided into the room.

"I'm sorry to bother you again so soon, but King Zarkon has issued an order for you," the older woman apologetically explained.

Lissa stiffened in anger, her eyes narrowing. "You can tell that pompous ass to stick his orders where the light doesn't shine."

Haggar laughed in genuine amusement. "I have felt that way myself in the past, but here's a friendly word of advice: it's easier to just do as he says. You are at his mercy, and it'd be best to stay on his good side."

"I doubt he has one," Lissa tartly replied, earning another smile from the witch.

"You are entirely correct," Haggar agreed. "Nonetheless, you would be wise to do as he commands. And I think this particular command will be to your liking. He has ordered you to visit your dragon and assure him of your well being."

Lissa stared at Haggar in surprise. "He is allowing me to see Fire Storm?"

"I will be with you, of course," Haggar replied. "And we will be surrounded by a spell shield, so do not entertain any ideas of escaping. But yes, he is allowing you to see your Fire Storm."

Lissa felt a strange pang of sadness as she regarded the witch. She did not want to think of her as an enemy, yet she knew she must. After all, it was Haggar's potion that had rendered her powerless. Much as she might empathize with the other woman, she could not trust her.

"Very well, I will do as he says, but only because it is something I want as well," Lissa muttered.

"Excellent," Haggar smiled. She gestured with her hands and a bubble of force closed around them, gently lifting them into the air.

The bubble slowly drifted out of the room and down the long halls of the castle. Lissa looked around, curious in spite of herself. "This place is certainly dismal."

Haggar sighed. "It has never known a woman's touch. I'm afraid I'm not the domestic type. I find spells and potions far more interesting then picking out furniture and creating floral arrangements."

"Nor am I," Lissa agreed. "Give me combat before cleaning any day."

The women shared a brief glance of camaraderie before Haggar hastily glanced away.

A peaceful silence elapsed between them as they glided down the halls, until Haggar suddenly said, "You told me that when you entered the Legion you were forced to give up everything. Tell me, are allowed to have emotions? Are you allowed to love?"

Lissa turned to the witch in surprise. "Why?"

Haggar frowned, considering her answer for a moment before shrugging. "I was going to say I wanted to know out of curiosity, but the truth is, a member of the Voltron Force has just been taken prisoner. I think he may have come here alone, but I do not know for certain, and I find the timing of his appearance highly suspect. Almost as if he was coming here after you. And it occurred to me that perhaps he was one of the things you had been forced to forsake."

The witch was so close to the truth that it chilled Lissa's blood. Her heart began to pound in her chest as Haggar's words rang in her head. "Who is it that has been captured?"

"I have no idea," Haggar honestly answered. "I just know he is a member of the Voltron Force."

"What does he look like?"

The bubble came to an abrupt halt as Haggar calmly regarded her with shrewd eyes. "Answer my question first."

Lissa hesitated, reluctant to trust Haggar with such private information when she hardly knew her and had no way of knowing if the witch was trustworthy or not.

Haggar frowned at her. "I have already told you more then I should have by even mentioning the fact that we captured a Lion pilot. The King would be furious with me if he knew I had told you anything at all. The least you could do is show the same faith in me that I have shown in you. I give you my word I will tell no one what we speak of."

"Why do you want to know," Lissa quietly demanded.

Haggar glanced away, a look of sadness on her face. "Because I know something of love and loss, and regret. If you are giving up love for duty, I want to know, because I have followed that path, and I tell you now, it is not the road to travel."

The witch's words rang with the conviction of truth, and Lissa was moved by the sheer feeling in the other woman's voice, sensing she did not display emotion often.

"Alright then, to answer you question, no I am not allowed to love," Lissa finally whispered. "And yes, there is a man I was forced to leave behind. But that was years ago and best forgotten."

The Black Lion reached the Planet Doom not long after Lance had been captured. Keith immediately sensed trouble was afoot, because there were a large number of scout ships scouring the planet's surface.

"Damn it, Lance," Keith swore as he set the Black Lion's scanners to do a search for the Red Lion. "You better not have done anything rash!"


	23. Trapped

**A/N: I do not own Voltron, its characters or settings. New stuff is mine.**

**Wow it has been a long time in waiting, but I am finally going to update. Hopefully I can keep on it but I have so many stories written that it gets hard to prioritize… **

Haggar regarded Lissa with sympathy, understanding forbidden love only too well, though admittedly the tragic circumstances of her own life were different then those of the White Rider's.

"So I was right. The pilot came here for you," she finally whispered, and Lissa glanced at her with stricken eyes.

"I don't know," Lissa replied. "Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. Please, will you tell me what he looks like?"

Haggar tapped her chin thoughtfully and said, "I can't give much in the way of a description. He was covered in mud and unconscious when he was brought in to Zarkon's throne room," she explained. "He was tall and had dark hair, and if he was cleaned up I'd say he was handsome."

Well that narrowed it down to Lance or Keith, and though she could try and tell herself it was Keith, the rational part of her mind knew it had to be Lance. Somehow he had found out she had been captured and taken to Doom, and he had come to her rescue.

Damn him, did he ever stop to consider the consequences of his actions? She had already been in a difficult situation, a prisoner at the mercy of a galactic tyrant, stripped of her powers and used as a hostage to control Fire Storm. Now she had to deal with the knowledge that her beloved was a prisoner as well. It was imperative her captors not know of her true feelings for him. They would certainly use it against her.

Lissa conveniently overlooked the fact that her running away from Arus had led to her capture and Lance's as well. After all, how was she to know some mad man with a crush on the Princess would be hanging around like a stalker waiting to snatch up anyone who crossed paths with him.

She glanced at Haggar pensively, wondering if the witch would keep her feelings a secret. She had no choice but to trust the other woman, though she had earlier deemed it impossible to do so. Funny how life could change your decisions in the blink of an eye.

"Could you tell the color of his uniform?"

Haggar shook her head. "No. It was too muddy. But I have been in the service of Zarkon for some time, and have had many encounters with the Voltron Force. I know most of them on sight, and if I had to hazard a guess, I would say he's the pilot for the Red Lion."

Had Lissa been walking, she would have tripped. Her knees locked and her body trembled as she stared at the witch in open dismay. Haggar looked at her face and sighed.

"You had best learn to control your emotions better then that, or at least your expressions," Haggar advised her. "If you don't, the King is going to take one look at you and instantly know how much this man means to you. The last thing you need is another threat hanging over your head."

"Please take me to see him," Lissa whispered, ignoring the fact that the witch had been thinking the same thing she had only a moment before, slightly disconcerted how alike they were turning out to be.

"I cannot," Haggar regretfully informed her. "Not yet. Perhaps after his audience with Zarkon, and his interrogation by Lotor."

"Interrogation," Lissa queried.

Haggar eyed her for a moment, considering softening the truth since there was really nothing Lissa could do for the man at the moment. In the end, she decided truth was best, not quite able to bring herself to lie to the young woman. "A pretty word for torture."

Lissa eye's widened and for an instant, they swam with tears, but she quickly shook her head, refusing to cry. "I must see him. I can't simply stand by while he's…interrogated."

"There's nothing you can do for him at the moment," Haggar pointed out to her. "For now, I suggest you see to your dragon. I managed to convince the King it would be best if you comforted him so he doesn't tear Doom apart."

Lissa glanced at the witch in surprise.

Haggar correctly interpreted her look and laughed, a genuine laugh, and a sound rarely heard. "Oh, I'm not being totally selfless by gaining you this visit. I did it for selfish reasons as well. I've always been fascinated by dragons, but I've never gotten to actually interact with one."

"Well, you are about to meet one of the most stubborn of them," Lissa replied.

She bit her lower lip, her thoughts still on Lance. Maybe it's Keith, her mind stubbornly insisted, the witch could have been wrong, since she had said herself the man was covered in mud and difficult to identify. But in her heart, she knew the truth. Lance had come running to her rescue like usual…As much as the thought infuriated her, it also warmed her. He might not love her anymore, but they had always been friends and always would be, despite their frequent misunderstandings.

A heavy silence fell over the women as they continued to float down the halls, and Lissa was so lost in thought she didn't bother to examine her surroundings. She looked up in surprise when they at last reached a great balcony which overlooked the castle courtyard and much of the surrounding areas.

She tossed a questioning glance at Haggar. "I thought you told me he was in a pit under the castle?"

The witch had the grace to look uncomfortable. "A lie, and something I am sorry for. Zarkon ordered me to tell you that, and because I did not yet know you, I did as the King bade me."

Meaning what, Lissa wondered. Now that Haggar knew her she would no longer lie to her? If the witch had lied to her once, it was possible she had lied to her again, and trusting her seemed increasingly difficult. Then again, Haggar had admitted to lying earlier, so perhaps she was to be believed from now on. Lissa had no way of knowing.

However, all Lissa said was, "I see."

The two women stared at one another for a moment, but before either of them could speak, a great roar shook the heavens and Fire Storm descended on them with blinding speed, his massive form leaving a gale in his wake as he plummeted to the castle. Beside her, Haggar stiffened almost imperceptibly, but Lissa had eyes only for her Familiar. She felt a surge of joy at seeing him again; he had been part of her life for so long that his absence was an aching void. There was still no connection between them, but being in his presence soothed her senses. He drew as close to the balcony as his mass would allow, lowering his head to study Haggar for a moment before turning his attention back on Lissa.

"I am relieved to find you well," he murmured, his expression conveying the depth of his sincerity. "Someone is interfering with our link."

Lissa glanced at Haggar but decided now was not the best time to disclose the full truth to the dragon; he might try to kill her and then they would be stuck in an awkward position since only the witch knew the antidote for the potion she had used on Lissa. "It is an elixir that suppresses my psychic abilities; it was administered at the behest of the King."

"I will crush him for such impunity," the leviathan hissed, rage evident in his entire demeanor.

"That's going to have to wait until we can get a cure," she gently rebuked him. "And we have one other problem. I think Lance might have followed us and been captured."

Fire Storm sighed. "The boy is an idiot where you are concerned."

During their exchange, Haggar was silently studying the enormous lizard. Up close he was incredibly intimidating, his scales were like sleek overlapping mirrors; each half as long as a human body. He had to be over a hundred feet long; he could carry an entire squadron on his back. His wing beats caused gusts of wind to swirl around the balcony, jarring the force orb they were inside. He was fluid grace and strength; nature at its finest and most terrible. No roe beast she had created could compare to the creature.

"This is my companion Haggar," Lissa informed the dragon, waving a hand in the other woman's direction. "She is going to help me find Lance."

Haggar hadn't actually agreed to do anything other then guard Lissa's secrets, but she let the matter go for the moment. Better to let the dragon believe the best of her.

"I will do what I can to find the boy as well," he said. "I have sensed his life essence before and would probably recognize it if I were to find it again."

"Thank you," Lissa sighed, reaching up to place a hand on his muzzle. "Try and keep the King on his toes, so he pays less attention to his new prisoner. I find I can't handle the idea of Lance being tortured because of me."

Fire Storm nodded once, his look grave. "He is loyal and his love for is sincere, of that I do not doubt."

Lissa blinked at him, how could the dragon possibly know Lance loved her? She felt her spirits soar momentarily before she realized he was most likely telling her that just to comfort her.

"I will see you again when I can," was all she said, leaning in to hug his muzzle. The leviathan wheeled away then and returned to his aerial scouting of the area; a new objective in mind.

Haggar turned the orb around and headed back to Lissa's quarters. "I will do what I can to keep you informed of the prisoner's status, but as for helping him escape I can't guarantee that. I do have an obligation to my King."

Lissa understood loyalty; she would take any aid the witch was willing to offer her.

**xXx**

Lance woke to find himself in a Doom prison cell. It was dank, dark and devoid of any other inhabitants. He sat up on the bed, groaning when he felt the various aches of his body. His captors had certainly beaten the hell out of him, of course it hadn't helped that he'd run his mouth at them the whole time. He wasn't surprised he'd gotten caught; it had been stupid to rush to Planet Doom on his own like some knight in shining armor; but the problem was he couldn't think straight where Lissa was concerned. What he realized in hindsight did him no good; he could think sensibly at the moment but as soon as he got around her again he knew his common sense would fly out the window. Love was a crazy thing.

He studied his surroundings, but he had been isolated from the other prisoners and Lance was sure it was deliberate. He had probably been present to Zarkon already, though he couldn't recall the meeting he knew the bastard would love having a Lion pilot for a prisoner. Lance would most likely be kept alone until some ridiculous punishment or execution was thought up; after torture of course. He had no doubt that would happen.

He had no idea how he was going to help Lissa; it was likely she wasn't being kept in a prison cell. Knowing Lotor's perverted inclinations, it was possible she was being kept as the man's companion. The thought made Lance's eyes darken with rage; he'd kill Lotor if that had happened. His angry thoughts were quickly allayed by the realization that Lotor generally was only a pig when it came to Allura; no one else had ever captured the prince's attention and so Lissa was probably safe from his advances.

Lance slumped back on the hard pallet that served as the bed in his cell and wondered how long it would be before the rest of the Voltron Force came after him. At the moment he was of no use to Lissa, but once the team arrived a real rescue effort could be mounted. He might have to goad Lotor for her location, he was going to see the prince shortly anyway since the other man tended to either administer or oversee torture of prisoners. It was relatively easy to rile Lotor's temper, Lance was confident he'd be able to gain some information about Lissa. He would just have to endure long enough to get what he needed.

**xXx**

Keith located the Red Lion with difficulty; Lance had left under a tree, which was poor cover considering the bright red color of the robot. Then again, the entire landscape was brown, gray or black so there was little likelihood of finding an adequate hiding place for the Lion. This didn't mollify Keith's anger, which was primarily based on the fact that the idiot had run off on his own to rescue Lissa. It was a miracle the Red Lion hadn't been discovered yet; it gave Keith hope that Lance might be scouting the area rather then charging in to save his love.

Keith scanned the surroundings with the Black Lion and felt his hopes die when he located a spot of trampled, muddied ground with three sets of footprints not too far from where the Red Lion was hidden. He had to assume Lance had been captured, which was very bad indeed since breaching Doom's defenses without Voltron would be incredibly difficult. Cursing under his breath, Keith had no choice but to land his Lion near Lance's. He wasn't about to do anything foolish; he was going to wait for the rest of the team. If any guards came by and found the Red Lion, he would take them out.


End file.
